Illogical
by MissMariaWrites
Summary: Her legs were bare. I blinked twice, still staring at her legs. Yeah, no pants. Holy fuck. "Who are you and what are you doing in my shed?" (AH / AU drabble-fic, rated M because ;) )
1. The Shed

**Recommended Soundtrack: Midnight City / M83**

* * *

KLAUS POV

"That piece was supposed to be shipped out from Paris _three days ago._ Are you telling me it has yet to be removed from it's hook?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mikaelson. I- I was certain it had been sent out," the man on the other end of the line replied in a thick French accent.

"Well your definition of certain does not seem to match mine. That particular artwork happens to be the centerpiece of an exposition that is due to be opening in less than a week. Do you know what that means?"

"I- Well, it-"

"It means that if it isn't here within two days, when it is _supposed_ to arrive, you will find yourself out of a job."

Silence on the other end of the line. A second later, the man responded.

"I'll have it shipped through express mail this afternoon, Mr. Mikaelson."

"This afternoon?" _Was he serious?_

"Uh- now. It'll be shipped now." _Much better._

"Good," I said and pressed the end call button. "Fucking French and their leisure."

Two more paintings and one sculpture still needed to be accounted for. I needed to call the museum to make sure that they had checked in all of the paintings and sculptures. If all went well, in two days this job would be done on my end.

I checked the time on my laptop screen- 2:57 a.m. All the other calls that needed to be made would be rather rude at this late hour. Dammit.

I stood and stretched, logging off of my laptop and shutting off the desk lamp.

There were hardly any sounds in the house at night. _Just like every other house, I assume._

My throat was dry from talking so I head into the kitchen to grab a glass of milk. Honestly, I needed alcohol more than anything but I would be going to bed soon so what was the point.

I grabbed the gallon of milk out of the fridge and poured a decent amount into a tall glass. Not feeling very tired yet, I decided to walk through the house. I was barefoot, and the floor was cool.

 _It's a little drafty in here. Why is that painting crooked?_

I stopped, setting my glass down on a nearby table and adjusted the Rembrandt replica. _Damned maids._

I grabbed my glass and continued to walk towards the back of the house. There were curtains drawn over the glass doors and I stopped to pull them back to look over the gardens.

They were pristine. The grass was manicured, the hedges were trimmed, and the flowers accentuated the scenery. There were lights strung through the trees, and lanterns lighting that paths that curved through the gardens. It was a rather mystical sight.

 _She would have loved this..._

 _Wait._

The lights weren't supposed to be on. They were only turned on when there were evening guests or when there was a party. If they were left on every night, that would be a ridiculous amount of energy and money wasted.

The lights were controlled from the side shed. The gardener probably tripped on the switch or something. _Was it really this hard to find good help these days?_

"If you want something done right..." I started, setting my half finished glass of milk on a nearby table and pulling one of the glass doors open. Thoughts of going to France myself to pick up that painting crossed my mind. _Should've just taken it when I went scouting…_

I had forgotten that I didn't have shoes on, so I was walking through the dewy grass barefoot, and then into the loose gravel by the side of the house. _Fantastic._

To add to my growing irritation, the shed door had been left ajar. And the light on.

 _Note to self: Fire the gardener._

I pushed open the door and was stepping in when I stopped, staring down at the ground.

A pair of clear green eyes flashed to mine.

"What the bloody hell?" It turned out louder than I intended.

The blonde who had been laying on the ground holding a book above her face shot up, standing ramrod straight.

"Whoa," she started, holding her hands out, palms facing me, her eyes wide. "Calm down."

Her legs were bare. I blinked twice, still staring at her legs. Yeah, no pants. Holy fuck.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my shed?"

She stared for a second as if not expecting the question. Then she blinked and her face softened a little and she held out her hand.

"I'm Caroline," she said. I looked down at her small hand. Her nails were painted blue.

I slipped my hand into hers. She was warm, and her hand was soft.

I looked back up at Caroline, who was staring at me questioningly.

"What?"

"Well," she said, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your name?"

"Nik," I said, and then swallowed. _What the hell was that?_ I never introduced myself as Nik. _How did that slip?_

A large smile spread over Caroline's face and her eyes lit up.

"Nice to meet you," she said, sounding genuinely kind and earnest. She let go of my hand.

Silence.

 _Why was I here again? Light, right. Wait, a stranger in my shed is the priority right now._

"So Caroline," I started. "What are you doing in my shed?"

"This is your shed?" She asked.

Huh? I just… "Um...yes?" Wait, yes, it was my shed. Why did I make that sound like a question?

"So that's your house?" She pointed in the general direction of the house, right behind her.

"That's right," I nodded slowly. Was she… slow, or something?

"This area," she started, making a circular motion with her hand to indicate the area, I assumed. "Is your property?"

"Correct," I confirmed.

"Oh," she said. "Nice place," she added. "Your shed is ritzier than most."

She was looking around then, eyeing the walls and tools as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

And I was left speechless, staring as she turned in a circle to look around the entire room.

No pants. Right.

She wore a long gray t-shirt that hit her leg above mid thigh. She looked up when her back was to me and her long hair cascaded down her back. It was styled into some sort of twists. Interesting.

She kept turning and I kept ogling, unable to look away. My brain was registering everything at once.

Jesus, if my eyes weren't deceiving me, then she wasn't wearing a bra. And _those legs._ They were toned and lightly tanned. There were two woven anklets on her left ankle. Her toes were painted blue, too. Cute.

There was a blanket and a large knapsack at her feet. The knapsack was pushing up on the main light switch. _Guess I wouldn't have to fire the gardener…_

Caroline had finished admiring the shack and looked back at me, smiling softly. She snapped her fingers as if she had remembered something.

"Oh! Why I'm here, right, yes. Well, I needed a place to sleep, so…" She gestured towards her feet where her bed had apparently been made.

"How long have you been here?"

"Um, an hour. Two tops."

"And you were planning on spending the night here?"

"Yes."

"Do you do this often?" I remembered her "ritzier than most" shed comment.

"Eh," she shrugged. "Now and then."

I blinked. "Now and then?"

"Whenever it's necessary."

"When is it ever necessary to sleep in a shed?" I scoffed. She swallowed, the soft smile dropping from her face.

"Alright," she said. "I'm sorry about the intrusion. I'll get out of your hair now."

She slipped her feet into a pair of Chuck Taylors I hadn't seen, stuffed her book into her knapsack and slung it over her shoulder.

She squeezed past me and started down the driveway and was well a ways away when I finally snapped out of whatever trance I'd been in. Her mood swing had thrown me off.

"Wait!" I called.. "Where are you going?"

She swung around but continued to walk backwards. "Places," she answered.

"Do you at least own pants?" First I tell her my name is Nik and now I'm asking her about pants. Yeah, I needed sleep. Soon.

"Of course I do," she snorted, not even looking down at her pant-less state.

"You forgot your blanket!" I called. She was pretty far away now, and I didn't want her to leave. Because wandering off into the night without pants would be a bad thing, not because I particularly wanted her to stick around or anything. And because she left her blanket, too.

"That was in the shed when I got there," she gave a shrug. The shadows falling over her face shifted as she made a face. "You're a pretty lousy shed owner if you don't know what's in your own shed."

 _Dammit._ "Caroline!" I called and she slowed but took another step back. "Will you just...wait," I grumbled loudly but she probably hadn't heard.

I jogged over to her. She was still walking backwards, slower though.

My feet hurt. Right, no shoes.

"You can stay, if you want to that is." I offered.

She frowned a little. "You're letting me stay in your shed?"

"What? No, I meant inside the house." Did she really think I would let her sleep on the cold hard ground?

"Uh," she started, looking up at the mansion. "Gee, I don't know."

I huffed. Why was she being difficult? "Listen, it's past three in the morning. And we're a long walk away from town so you probably won't find another place for at least another one to two hours. You'd probably fall asleep in the forest first."

She shrugged. "It's not that bad."

 _What?_ I took a breath and decided that she meant that she had gone camping overnight and had slept in the woods in a tent with other people accompanying her. On the camping trip, not in the tent.

"Okay, well. I have plenty of rooms in the house. You can spend the night and leave tomorrow if you wish."

She looked at me quizzically for a second and I could see that she was thinking about it. It took less than a minute for her to respond.

"Fine," she said, and started walking back towards the house.

 _Okay, then._

* * *

 **Will anyone actually read this?**

 **(Next chap will be posted after 10 reviews)**


	2. The Morning After

**Recommended Soundtrack: Skinny / Pegasus Bridge**

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KPOV

Caroline let out a long whistle when I led her through the back door and into the mansion. I switched on the lights, not wanting to lead her through a dark house.

"It's more impressive on the inside than the outside," she said, running her palm across a Roman style column as she passed it.

"If you thought the shed was ritzy..." I trailed off as she laughed. The sound tinkled and echoed off the walls.

"Thank you for letting me stay here," she said, her eyes lingering on the Rembrandt I'd straightened out just minutes ago. She slowed down a little to admire it before skipping to catch up to me. I was already at the foot of the stairs. "But shouldn't you ask your wife if it's alright?"

I stopped. Since she was two steps behind me she had to catch herself quicker so that she wouldn't slam her face into my ass.

"I'm not married," I said, or more like barked out. It sounded harsher than I had intended.

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed- big house and all," she waved her hands around, gesturing to the general vicinity.

There was nothing I could really say. I had told her I wasn't married, there was no need to add to that.

I gave her a curt nod before turning around, taking a second to gather my thoughts and starting up the stairs again. She was right behind me, albeit about a step further than before.

I led her to one of the guest bedrooms, opening the door and gesturing for her to go inside. As she did, I turned on the lights.

There were two guest bedrooms in the house, and they were hardly ever used. Whenever my siblings stayed for a night or more, they had their own rooms assigned to them. I had made this home to offer them a home, to keep the family united. At a certain point, I was planning on having someone else join, someone who would make this place less lonely for me. But apparently, plans had changed.

"Nice," Caroline said, pulling me from my thoughts. She had dropped her knapsack on one of the armchairs by the fire place and was toeing her Chucks off, gazing mischievously at the bed.

Before I could register her intentions, she bounded towards the bed. She leaped, twirled in the air and landed on her back on the mattress with a soft thud, her arms outstretched.

"Wow," she said, popping her head up. She adjusted herself so that she was leaning back in her elbows, her feet swinging off the end of the bed. "This is the softest bed I've ever jumped on," she wiggled

around. "It's like a cloud."

I was gaping at her. _How old was she?_

"Twenty-two," she called out, scooting back onto the bed and getting under the covers. _Had I said that out loud?_

I was slightly disappointed when I couldn't see her legs anymore, but almost equally thankful. All her movement was making her shirt ride up to the point where I could almost make out what was under it. Almost.

I cleared my throat and resisted the urge to adjust myself. _Get out, now._

"I'm heading off the bed. My room is right across the hall, in case you need anything."

"Okay," she said, finally finishing her wiggling around under the covers and dropping her head onto the pillows.

"Okay," I said, walking toward the door, which was no more than two steps away since I hadn't really walked that far into the room. I switched off the light and was about to walk out the door when she

called out from the bed.

"Goodnight, Nik," she said and then yawned loudly.

I looked over my shoulder at her. Her eyes were already closed.

"Goodnight, Caroline," I said, shutting the door behind me.

* * *

I was up by seven, as per usual. No matter how late I went to bed, I never woke up late.

I was halfway through my shower when I remembered what had happened the night before.

"Shit," I mumbled and proceeded to speed through the rest of my shower and shave.

After leaving Caroline sleeping in the guest room last night, my mind had begun to wander.

 _I just let a stranger into my house. She knows where I sleep. She could be a con artist. What's in her knapsack? Who walks around pant-less?_

So I had locked my door and gone to sleep.

Now, I pulled on a pair of pants and one of my many Henley's before walking out into the hallway. Her door was still closed, and I couldn't hear any noise coming from the rest of the house.

I knocked on her door lightly. If she was awake she would answer, or it would at least give her fair warning that I was coming in. I waited a few seconds and then pushed the door open.

The curtains were drawn and the lights were still off so it was fairly dark in the room. With the little light coming from the hallway, I could make out Caroline still in bed, her body tangled with the covers and her hair thrown wildly over the pillows. _Should I wake her? No, she's probably tired._

Deciding I wouldn't disturb her, I gently closed the door and padded down to the kitchen to make myself breakfast.

I sliced a pineapple, toasted and buttered bread, scrambled eggs and made coffee.

I took my breakfast into the office, setting it on a side table and turned on the news. I booted up my laptop while eating pineapple slices.

By eight thirty I had gotten through a decent amount of paperwork and had finished breakfast. I took my plates and mug to the kitchen to rinse them out and deposit them in the dishwasher. Before heading back to the office I swung by the guest room where Caroline was still slumbering. She had shifted, throwing the duvet completely off. When I caught sight of her panties, which I could now see because her shirt was bunched up around her waist, I quickly moved out of the room and desperately attempted to put that image out of my mind.

By nine-thirty I was able to get in contact with the owner of the two paintings that still hadn't arrived at the museum and ascertained that they would arrive on schedule. I went up to check on Caroline again, barely sticking my head in the room. She had turned on her side, her back facing me, as well as her butt. Before I could decide whether I liked the view or not, I closed the door and went back down.

By ten thirty I had answered all pending emails and was working on making sure the sculpture would arrive on time.

At eleven I started worry. Then I smelled something cooking. _The maids weren't supposed to be here today…_

Caroline was in the kitchen, going from the stove to the fridge to various counters, grabbing, frying and setting. It smelled like bacon. And sausages. And fried eggs.

As I walked further into the kitchen, Caroline looked up, gracing me with one of her sunshine smiles.

"Good morning, Nik!" There was my name again. _Dammit_. Why had I told her that was my name? I shifted uncomfortably.

"Good morning, Caroline. Although, it is rather later morning."

She shrugged, removing the bacon from the pan and placing it on her rather stacked plate. She also had pancakes. "Still morning nonetheless."

She put a placed her plate on a placemat she had left on the island counter. She poured herself a cup of orange juice and sat down, taking a large swing before digging into her breakfast.

I didn't really know what to say, so I just looked.

She had changed. The shirt she was wearing was navy blue and it fit her loosely. It wasn't baggy, it just wasn't form fitting. She had the front of the shirt tucked into the front of her denim shorts. They were short and frayed at the edges.. She wore her Chucks, but seemed to have puts socks on this time.

"Sorry about the mess, and taking your food. I'll clean up and leave some money." She grabbed a bottle of honey and poured a generous amount over her pancakes.

"That won't be necessary," I shook my head. It really wasn't. She had barely used any food. There was enough in the fridge and the pantry to feed a whole army. _I didn't even know we had bacon._

"Of course it is," she said through a mouth full of pancake. She reached into her back pocket and slapped something down onto the counter.

A hundred dollar bill.

"I don't need your money, Caroline," I growled, growing irritated.

She rolled her eyes. "I know you don't need it, _duh_. But my parents didn't raise me to be a mooch," she shrugged, dismissing the subject. "Just take the money."

Frustrated, I turned and went back into the office, leaving her money on the counter.

 _Who the hell was she? She was sleeping in sheds, but had a hundred dollar bill in her_

 _pocket? What was it with her? Didn't he realize she was my guest? As in she wouldn't have to pay for her stay._

I felt slightly insulted.

I was still pacing back and forth, thinking of all things Caroline, when Caroline came into the room,

her knapsack slung over her shoulder.

"You're leaving?" I asked. But it wasn't really a question. _Of course she was leaving, did you think she was going to stay?_

She nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to overstay my welcome. And I have places I need to go anyways."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

 _Huh?_ "What do you mean you don't know where you're going?"

She chuckled. "The answer is in the question."

I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it again, not having anything to say. _Did she seriously not know where she was going?_

"Will you be staying in town for some time?" I asked.

She scrunched up her nose in a down right adorable way. "No, I don't think so. I don't do small towns."

"What's wrong with small towns?"

"They make me stick out like a sore thumb, honestly. Everyone in a small town knows each other, or knows of each other. A new face draws too much attention."

Couldn't argue with her there. I knew all that well enough.

"Okay," she rolled back on her heals, looping her thumbs through her shoulder straps. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so," I answered dryly. There was no point in delaying her any longer.

"Alright, well," she started, walking towards me. I stayed stock still, not knowing what she would do. She lifted herself up onto her tippy toes and placed a soft, sweet kiss on my cheek.

"Goodbye, Nik. Thanks for the hospitality."

Then she whirled around and walked off before I could answer.

"Anytime," I said, but only I could hear.

* * *

CAROLINE POV

The book for this week was _Hamlet._ I hadn't paid much attention when I read it in high school, and it was cheap enough at the used book store, especially when I traded in my copy of _A Handmaid's Tale._

I wasn't missing much, I realized. Hamlet was a moody teenager trying to get over his father's death. He sucked at revenge, though. Up until now, he had had at least three open opportunities where he could have killed Claudius but he had chickened out. Pussy.

He was about to wrestle Laertes in Ophelia's open grave when I heard the shed door swing open. I looked up and stared into the eyes of what I swore was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

"What the bloody hell?" And he had an English accent, too. Hot damn.

I stood up quickly and tried to diffuse the tension, but mostly I was just trying to get a better look at him.

Blue eyes, short, sandy curls and raspberry lips. I'd never seen lips like that.

After pleasantries with Nik had been exchanged and I did a little one-eighty around the shed to try and come up with a plan to get out of this, I found myself pulling on my shoes and heading out the door.

 _Okay, the main road wasn't far. Hitch-hiking wouldn't be so bad. I had done it before. I was hoping to avoid it for a while and just use buses and trains as my mode of transportation, but there wouldn't be any buses headed through here until the morning…_

"Wait!" I turned but continued to walk backwards. Nik was still standing by the shed, looking rather torn. "Where are you going?"

"Places," I answered vaguely. Mostly because I had no clue where my next stop would be but also because I wasn't about to tell a stranger where I was going.

"Do you at least own pants?" That was a silly question. Well, maybe not so silly because I wasn't wearing pants at the moment.

"Of course I do," I said with a snort.

Nik looked around, glancing inside the shed before looking back at me. "You forgot your blanket!"

"That was in the shed when I got there. You're a pretty lousy shed owner if you don't know what's in your own shed."

"Caroline!" He called out. I was pretty far now, but I could see his mouth move as he said something. I didn't hear it though. Then he was jogging towards me. He looked hot when he was jogging. His arms were slightly flexed so I could see how toned they were. _Yum._

"You can stay, if you want to that is," he offered.

"You're letting me stay in your shed?"

"What? No, I meant inside the house."

"Uh, gee, I don't know." It was a big house. And he was a stranger. I was basically asking to get raped. Or murdered.

"Listen, it's past three in the morning. And we're a long walk away from town so you probably won't find another place for at least another one to two hours. You'd probably fall asleep in the forest first."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Of course I knew all this.

"It's not that bad."

He swallowed, his eyes going blank. He stayed silent for a second before composing himself and continuing to speak. "Okay, well. I have plenty of rooms in the house. You can spend the night and leave tomorrow if you wish."

 _Who was this guy?_

First of all, how had he found me? I hadn't made any noise when I snuck into the shed and had managed to stay there for a few hours. What had he been doing wandering around the side of his house at three in the morning? Obviously he wasn't just doing a routine maintenance check of his shed because he didn't even know he owned that blanket.

I could feel the exhaustion starting to weigh down on me, though. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in the last three nights and I desperately needed to lay down. I sent a quick prayer up and hoped that this guy wasn't bad news.

"Fine," I said, and started walking towards the house, Nik trailing behind me.

He stopped by the shed to flip some switch that turned off all of the garden lights. _So that was what had given me away. Damn._

He led me through the back and up to a guest room.

The mansion was _gor-ge-ous_. It was almost completely white with Roman style columns and high ceilings. The floor was marble and some other stone I couldn't name, but it was beautiful. There were framed paintings on almost every wall. I recognized a Rembrandt I had seen in a brochure for the Louvre. This was obviously a replica, but it was breath taking all the same.

When I asked about a wife, which I honestly assumed he had one because seriously he was a catch and who live in a house his big with no one to share it with, he got all serious. His face went blank and his eyes got dark and he dismissed the subject and lead me to the guest bedroom.

And to the softest bed ever.

He regarded me carefully when I jumped on the bed, but that was to be expected. What adult still jumped on beds? _Me, that's who._

We exchanged our goodnights and he closed the door, leaving me in the dark.

This was seriously awesome. The pillows were amazingly soft and the bed...wow, the bed. I closed my eyes, thinking of blue eyes and sandy curls as I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, tangled in the sheets, I had never felt so rested. I looked over at the clock on the fireplace mantle and realized it was just past ten thirty. Almost eight hours of sleep, not bad. I wanted to just snuggle back in under to covers but decided against it.

I got out of bed and found that there was a shower in the room. I quickly showered and got dressed, throwing my hair up into a pony tail and heading down to find something to eat. I would have to get rid of these twists soon. They were cool looking and stuff but they could be a little annoying.

The kitchen was a dream come true. State of the art appliances and stainless steel all over the place.

The fridge was stocked and so was the pantry. I bit my lip, deciding whether to go for a conservative breakfast or to have a hearty one. I didn't know when the next time I would get to eat would be, so I decided on a hearty breakfast. I could always leave some money so that I wouldn't feel like a freeloader.

As I was finishing, Nik came into the kitchen, practically salivating over my bacon. I smiled and greeted him and sat down to eat. And then we got into an arguement about me paying for my stay.

Seriously, if he didn't want me to pay for my stay he might as well have left me in the shed.

Then he left, which pissed me off a little. But whatever, it was his house.

I cleaned up the kitchen, leaving everything as I found it. I left the hundred dollar bill on the counter though.

I went up to my room and made the bed that I had left a mess. _Seriously, how much did I move around at night?_

A quick check I had of everything in my bag let me know I wasn't missing anything and that my camera was safely wrapped and tucked in there. Alright, time to go.

I went downstairs and looked around for Nik because it would probably be bad manners to just disappear.

After a bit of exploring I found him pacing in a room that looked to be some sort of office or study or something. He looked up. He had probably been running his hand through his hair a lot because his hair was mussed. _Hmm, it almost looked like sex hair._

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah, I don't want to overstay my welcome. And I have places I need to go anyways."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

 _Here we go._ This was always an issue. I tried for people not to catch me like this because then they asked too many questions. Questions I really don't have answers to.

He asked me if I was staying in town. Nope, that wasn't happening. No way, no how.

"Okay, I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so," he answered, his voice and expression giving nothing away. It reminded me of the look on his face when he had said he wasn't married. He looked so lonely.

Before I could change my mind, I walked over to him, got up on my tippy toes and placed a kiss to his cheek.

"Goodbye, Nik. Thanks for the hospitality." I spun on my heel and walked out, not waiting for him to answer. I was out the front door and down the driveway in no time.

I didn't look back. I never did.

* * *

 **...should I continue?**

 **(Keep reviewing and I'll keep writing)**


	3. The Lie

**Recommended Soundtrack: Heartstrings / Pegasus Bridge**

* * *

KPOV

I pulled on my dress shirt and buttoned it up, then pulled on a dark double-breasted frock coat. Then the matching vest with a broad collar to suit the shape of the coat. Then I pulled on a pair of gray pantaloons with diagonal stripes and dark boots. It was rather warm so I decided to forgo the overcoat and hat.

Fucking Founder's Day.

Downside to living in a small town- small town events. There was at least one event every month. This month it was Founder's Day, next month was the homecoming game. _Yes, a high school football game was an important town event._

I'd been dealing with all of this since I was born. Admittedly, when I was younger, I didn't complain. Events every month meant that there were some days when I didn't have to go to school because I would be helping my mother plan and prepare events. I should give her a call soon.

As I got older, I started taking part in more events. I was captain of the football team senior year, so that meant I got to ride one of the floats at the parade. Homecoming was a big deal, too (both the game and the dance).

Thinking of further after high school usually got me in a bad mood, so I decided to drop that train of thought.

Founder's Day. Right.

It was always important for a Mikaelson to show up to the town's Founder's Day festivities since we are descendants of one of the founding families. There were also the Fells and the Lockwoods and the Gilberts and the Salvatores and so on.

Since my dear brother Elijah was off somewhere in Europe with his wife and my younger siblings were using college as an excuse, the responsibility fell to me.

Deciding to stop delaying the inevitable, I grabbed my keys and cell phone and went out to get the SUV. As I got in and started the engine, I looked up and caught sight of the shed.

Caroline.

To say I hadn't thought of her the last two days would be a lie. I had hardly been able to focus on getting the final paperwork and calls done for the opening of the museum exposition.

When she left, it was as if she had never left.

When I went into the kitchen later that day to get lunch, there was the hundred dollar bill. I literally roared. But there was nothing I could do. She had left, and I couldn't stuff the bill back into her back pocket. Thinking of her back pocket made me think of her ass. And she had a nice ass. It was shapely.

When I was going up to bed, I passed by the room where she had stayed. I pushed open the door, finding that the bed had been left made. I had hoped that she would have left it unmade as some proof that she had really been there.

But if she had cleaned the kitchen and left it spotless, then it was no surprise that she had also made the bed. And fixed the pillows.

When I was closing the curtains of my room, I looked down at the garden. It was dark, no lights were on. Just like it was supposed to be. There was a little twinge in my chest and a quickly closed the curtains.

By the next day, she was basically a dream. A distant memory.

I clung onto little things. I remembered her blue nails and toe nails, her interesting hair, her Chucks. The way she was carefree and lighthearted. The sound of her laughter. The feel of her lips against my cheek.

I was turning into a fucking pansy.

She was gone. She had probably slept in another shed last night. Or on the forest ground.

I pushed those thoughts aside because I had seen her sleep, all tangled in the sheets, looking beautiful and vulnerable. Imagining her on the forest ground made me uncomfortable in more ways than I was willing to admit.

I pulled out of the driveway and drove into town. My house was off the main road. When taken South for about a mile, you'd reach the town of Mystic Falls.

I parked in an open parking space as close to the center of town as possible. There was already a mass of people gathered there, waiting for the parade to begin. The parade would be followed by a reception at Mayor Lockwood's mansion.

I walked around, mostly just greeting acquaintances. I didn't have any friends. I had one friend, but that went to shit.

When I finally tired of the pleasantries and the masses turned their attentions to the parade floats, I found a bench and sat down, waiting for this half of the festivities to be over.

I checked my phone for emails. I had answered all pending ones this morning, and nothing new had come in. I had no calls or messages from the museum, so I assumed that they had received all of the paintings and sculptures as planned. I was about to begin reorganizing my apps in order of importance when I heard familiar voices.

Looking to my left, I saw Camille and Marcel walking out of the Mystic Grille. My jaw clenched.

Camille, dressed in a long rose colored dress, wove her arm through Marcel's. He smiled down at her, leaning in and placing a kiss on her lips, and didn't even bother to keep it PG. Her cheeks were pink when he pulled away, and she ducked her head, pressing it into his neck.

They walked away, wrapped up in each other, not even noticing I was there.

I felt something digging into my palm and I looked down at my hand where I was fisting my phone. I let go, dropping it into my pocket and taking a deep breath.

I knew there was a chance of seeing them here today, but I had momentarily forgotten.

Just as I was about to let myself stroll down a quite depressing memory lane, someone rather unexpected rounded the corner.

Caroline, dressed in a long, Canary yellow dress. There was a vintage looking camera swinging from her neck. She was lifting her skirts slightly so that they wouldn't drag along the sidewalk. Her hair wasn't in twists anymore. Her long golden locks were curled, some of it pinned up so that it was out of her face. There was a pleasant smile spread over her lips as she looked around.

When she was in front of the Grille, her gaze landed on me. She stopped, stared for about a second, and then her smile grew.

"Nik!" She called, sounding excited. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and felt something weird at the center of my chest.

Caroline hiked up her skirts further, letting me see that she was still wearing her dusty Chucks. I chuckled at the sight and stood as she reached me.

"Hi!" She said, still smiling brightly.

"Hello, to you too," I replied, looking down at her. The dress she was wearing pushed up her tits. The skin of her chest was pale, just like the rest of her. It looked smooth, and her tits were two nice handfuls.

I quickly looked back into her eyes, but she had caught me staring. A mischievous smile replaced her bright one. I cleared my throat. "What are you doing here? I thought small towns made you stand out like a sore thumb?"

"Oh, they do," she nodded vehemently. "This one has it's charm, though. I passed through the other day to get a bus ticket and ended up checking into a bed and breakfast instead." She shrugged.

"And what have you been up to the last few days?" I asked curiously. There was seriously nothing to do in Mystic Falls. Growing up, I would just hang out at the Grille and go to parties. Unless you were actively involved in planning town activities or had family ties, there was really no reason to stay here.

"A little of this, a little of that," she said. _Her and her vague answers._

"You aren't going to tell me what you've been doing, are you?"

She made a face as if she was trying to make a decision. A dimple appeared on her right cheek. Adorable.

"I haven't been doing much to be honest, just exploring. Looking for good places to get some shots." She held up her camera.

"You're a photographer?"

"I dabble," she said casually. "It gives me something to do."

"Because you have all this free time while going from shed to shed," I supplemented and she snapped and pointed in my direction.

"Exactly!" She exclaimed. "Finally, someone that gets me."

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Really laughed like I hadn't in the longest time. She was a whirlwind of smiles and happiness and sunshine. _Yeah, I'm turning into a fucking sap._

"Klaus?"

I stopped laughing and looked behind me. Camille was standing there, looking between Caroline and I. _Oh, shit._

"Camille," I said, my voice sounding a little rougher than usual.

"I wasn't expecting to see you," she said.

 _Well, what the hell?_ "Well, I've lived here since I was born and my family is a founding family, so…" I trailed off. If she really hadn't expected to see me she had been deluding herself.

"Right, yeah," she said, ducking her head and blushing. I swallowed.

She lifted her gaze up at Caroline, but then cut her eyes to me. "I haven't seen you laugh like that in a while." _No fucking way._

Then it was silent because I didn't respond. I couldn't think of one. Damn. Thing. To say.

"Why don't you introduce us?" Camille suggested suddenly.

I looked at Caroline, who had a grin plastered on her face as she observed our awkward encounter. Apparently sensing that my vocal chords weren't going to cooperate, Caroline stepped forward, offering her hand to Camille.

"Hi, I'm Caroline Forbes," Caroline said, smiling her bright smile. _forbes._ Camille took her hand, regarding her carefully. She looked her up and down, something I'd never seen before flash across her face.

"Camille, was it?" Caroline started before I could decipher the look on Camille's face. "It's nice to meet you, Camille," sounding so genuinely kind and sincere.

The look on Camille's face only intensified. I cleared my throat.

"Caroline this is Camille O'Connell," I started. "Camille, meet Caroline, my...girlfriend."

Camille's eyes were wide and her mouth dropped open. But she was looking at me, and missed the similar look on Caroline's face. When Camille looked at Caroline, Caroline schooled her features back into her bright smile, although it wasn't very bright anymore.

I reached over, taking Caroline's hand carefully in mine. She didn't pull it away, so I took that as a good sign.

Camille cleared her throat and let go of Caroline's hand. "So, where did you two meet?"

"At a bar," Caroline said.

"In Paris," I said at the exact same time. _Bloody hell._

"At a bar in Paris," I quickly amended.

"Really?" She wasn't buying it.

"Yeah," I nodded, looking at Caroline who was looking up at me in wonder. To anyone, specifically Camille, it would look like an adoring gaze. But I knew she was just wondering how the hell I would get out of this.

"I had just closed a deal with an artist for a painting I needed for an upcoming exhibition. I went out for a couple of drinks to celebrate when this gorgeous girl walks in."

"Not that the alcohol affected his vision," Caroline said, winking at Camille. _Yes, actual winkage._ Then she stepped closer to me, holding onto my arm with her other hand.

"So we were in this bar, O'Brien's Pub. Did you know they call bars 'pubs' over in Europe?" Caroline said.

Camille grit her teeth. "Yes, I knew that."

"Ha! Well anyways. I saw him as soon as I walked through the door, and he saw me, too. I walked right up to him and sat down next to him. We talked and drank and laughed all night," she smiled fondly as if recalling the memory. I just stared at her.

"Then we went for a walk. It was already early morning, but we couldn't pull away from each other. We walked right by the Eiffel Tower, and it was all lit up, and Nik kissed me right there."

" _Nik?"_

"Then he walked me to my hotel," she continued, ignoring Camille's bewilderment. "But we ended up making love all night until the Sun reflected on the Seine," she punctuated the statement with a wistful sigh.

I swallowed. But she wasn't done.

"We spent all day in my room, getting lost in each other. It was beautiful. We only got up because you need to eat to keep going, if you know what I mean," she grinned at Camille, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I was silent, because _Holy hell, I could see it._ The pub, talking and drink and laughing with Caroline, kissing her under the Eiffel Tower, her body tangled in bed sheets, the Seine…

"Wow," Camille said, her face red. "How...wow." _Wow was right._

"I know," Caroline gushed, snuggling her cheek into my shoulder and looking up at me with those green eyes. "We've been inseparable ever since."

"So...you brought her home?" Camille's voice was uneven and I looked over at her.

"Of course," I replied, my own voice even. I looked back at Caroline because the lie was much easier to believe when she was looking at me as if all those things really happened. "When you have something this special, you shouldn't have to let go."

And then without any warning, which was probably fair since I hadn't warned her about the girlfriend thing either, Caroline stood on her tippy toes and pressed her lips to mine.

Sparks literally flew. The kiss burned, and made me want more. But all Caroline did was slowly move her lips against mine for what felt like forever but was probably just a few seconds.

I steeled myself and pulled away, letting out a breath. So did Caroline, but she gave me a dazzling smile.

Camille cleared her throat, bringing our attention back to her.

"Well, I've-um...yeah I've got to go get my purse at the...Grille."

And she was gone, hurrying off towards her destination.

I watched as she pulled open the door to the Grille and disappeared. I looked back down at Caroline who was grinning up at me.

"That was interesting."

* * *

 **What shoes do you always wear?**

 **(Klaus & Cami's past will be revealed next chapter...)**


	4. The Deal

**Recommended Soundtrack: Fireside / Arctic Monkeys**

 **(I always wear my short top black Docs)**

* * *

CPOV

" _That was interesting."_

Nik quickly looked away, seeming a little put off. His gaze stayed over my shoulder for a few seconds before his eyes snapped back to me.

"You kissed me," was all he said.

"Uh huh," I nodded, looking back down at his lips. "You have kissable lips."

I had always been really bad at filtering my thoughts. Usually whatever I was thinking would just shoot right out of my mouth. When I was a teenager, my tendencies to speak my mind got my labeled as neurotic. I learned to embrace it.

Nik didn't say anything else. He kind of just stood there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. I decided to throw the poor guy a bone.

"Why did she call you Klaus?"

"Huh?"

I rolled my eyes. _Was this guy slow?_ "Why did she call you Klaus if your name is Nik?" I narrowed my eyes. "Is your name not Nik?"

"No, it is."

I was so confused. "I don't follow."

He sighed. "My full name is Niklaus."

" _Niklaus_ ," I tried it out. It rolled off the tongue nicely, but it wasn't a name I had ever heard. It sounded old, like a name you would find all the way at the top of your family tree or something.

"Some people call me Nik, others call me Klaus." The tone he used told me that he wasn't going to explain it further, so I let the subject drop. I would just keep calling him Nik, since that was what he introduced himself to me as. Either way, I had already associated his face with the name Nik, so it would be a little hard and rather strange to change that now.

"Okay," now that he was talking, I decided to ask the harder questions. "So what was that all about?" I pointed over my shoulder at the spot where _Camille_ had been standing about two minutes before.

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. I realized I was still holding on to his other hand, so I let it drop. He looked down when I did so, frowning at the space between us.

"It's a long story," he said, looking back at me with blue eyes burning. His eyes were awesome. I could stare at them for hours.

"I've got time," I said. Because I did have time and I was curious. "You kind of owe it to me, I think. I gave us a hell of a romantic background story," I grinned. Honestly, it had been one of my best fake back stories yet. Paris was on my list of places to go, so I was totally confident when I had thrown out O'Brien's pub. If she googled it, it would be there.

It was a little funny, imagining an upset Camille going home to google the bar where Nik and I had supposedly met. And then she would get grumpy because it was in fact a real place. What I wouldn't give to see that.

The edges of his lips turned up ever so slightly, and he let out a little sound that sounded like an attempt at a chuckle.

"Cami and I have a...history," he started, stuffing his hands into his pockets and turned to start walking. I followed him, holding up my dress skirts because I could _not_ return this rental with frayed edges. I didn't have the money to pay for the damage.

"We met in New Orleans- I went over there for college," he continued tentatively, seeming to be choosing his words carefully. "She was bartending at a bar my best friend at the time and I frequented. After a couple of weeks of talking to her, I asked her out, and we dated for a while."

"How long is a while?" I asked, because the intensely awkward encounter I had just witnessed did not come from dating someone for a couple of months. Or maybe it did. _Maybe,_ they had dated for a few months but then had some terrible fall out. _Ohhh, the scandal._

"Almost ten years."

I choked on something, probably my own saliva. I coughed and felt Nik rubbing my back.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked. _Love._

"Fine," I managed to choke out. I took a few calming breaths before I spoke again. " _Ten years?"_

"Almost," he said grimly, his jaw clenching.

Ten years. Nik/Klaus had been in a committed relationship for almost ten years. Hell, I had issues staying in one place for too long let alone carry out a romantic relationship for a decade.

"You must have...loved her very much."

"I did," he sighed, looking away from me and at some far off fixed point. "I do."

 _Whoa._

"You still love her?" I asked. It was a lame question because he had already told me the answer but it came out of my mouth anyways.

"Yes," he nodded, sounding very serious.

"So, why did you two break up?"

He got a little tense. Well, not a little, a lot tense. His shoulders squared and his jaw clenched. He had a nice jawline.

"She broke up with me."

 _What the hell, why?_ Honestly, who would break up with a guy like Nik. He was literally sex personified with those _kiss me_ lips and that _tug on me while you come_ hair. Yeah, he was a little too serious at times, but he wasn't all that bad. Wait, I hardly even know the guy. Maybe he had personality flaws this chick Camille couldn't get over?

"Why?"

"She just said it wasn't working out, that she didn't feel as connected to me as she had before." _Ah, okay._

"And you still feel connected to her?"

"I can't let her go," he said, sounding pained. "We were together so long. I was so used to going home to her, envisioning my future with her in mind," he looked at me again, his gaze burning. "I still feel connected to her, Caroline."

His face was a mask but I could see the pain in his eyes. _Boy, she did a number on you._

"Want to know the worst part of this whole thing?" _It gets worse?_

He laughed, but it wasn't melodious. It was a broken, sardonic laugh. "She's dating again. And she's dating the guy who was supposed to be my best friend."

 _Oh, fuck._

He let out another broken laugh. "Yeah, that's how I looked, too."

"That's… I'm not going to sugar coat it, that's terrible."

Honestly, one thing my mother had taught me was to never date one of my best friend's ex's. My brother had given me the same advice, and told me to stay away from guys who made it a habit to date around with girls who were good friends. Whoever this guy was, I sure as hell didn't want to meet him.

"I know. I just- I know it's not meant to be this way. I'm not going to lie, towards the end of our relationship, things were a little rocky. It wasn't that we would fight a lot, we just stopped communicating. We had been through so much already, but it wasn't enough for us to have to break up, you know?" He scoffed then. "It wasn't even a month before I saw her walking around town with Marcel. He'd always been a charmer, and he had always had a thing for Cami but had backed off once we were dating."

I had nothing to say, because really, what could you say to something like that?

"Of course I confronted them about it, and all they said was that they hadn't meant for it to happen, _it just did._ " He ran a hand through his hair again and I could already see him doing that whenever he was frustrated.

"I dated this girl Hayley a few months back. She was just supposed to be a one night stand, a way to get all this shit out of my head for a night. But she turned out to be more clingy than I expected. So I just went along with it because, whatever, you know? I thought that maybe having Cami see me with someone else would get her to really open her eyes and realize that she wasn't meant to stay with Marcel. But she hardly bat an eyelash when she saw Hayley and I walking around. It was as if she could see right through me, which wouldn't surprise me because I think she knows me best. It doesn't help that she's a fucking psychologist."

"So you used this Hayley girl just like you used me back there?" _Yeah, I'm calling you out on your shit._

He had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm sorry about that, truly, I am."

"S'okay," I shrugged, because it really wasn't a big deal to me. I would be out of town in less than a week and Cami and Niklaus's story would be a memory to look back on. Maybe I could write to Matt about it. "Do you introduce everyone to Cami as your new girlfriend to get a rise out of her?"

He winced. "No."

"Then why me?"

He swallowed. "Because she looked… Jealous when she saw us together."

" _Realllly?"_ Interesting.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I'd never seen that look on her face. She was almost...green."

I laughed. "Green with envy."

"Exactly."

"Huh," I nodded. She had looked a little uncomfortable. But hey, who wouldn't look uncomfortable when someone else was sharing their sex life with you, especially when it was steamy Parisian sex. Still, I could see Nik's point.

As I tried to remember her reactions while I had spilled about our supposed romantic adventures in Paris, Nik remained quiet, pensive. After about a minute, he got this calculating look in his eye that gave me butterflies.

"What?" I prodded because he was looking at me like he was strategizing.

"I have an idea," he said vaguely.

"Are you going to share it with me or are you just going to leave me hanging?" Because I was hella curious.

"It involves you, sweetheart." _Sweetheart._ If he kept it up with the endearments I would be a puddle of hormones in no time.

"Elaborate, please."

"Before I say anything, I just want you to know that I'm not going to pressure you to do this. It's just an idea."

"Well, tell me already, I'm getting impatient." Patience was not one of the virtues I exercised often.

"I was thinking- what if you could stay here for a while, and pretend to be my girlfriend."

I have to admit, I kinda saw that one coming. "Pretend to be your girlfriend?"

"I already introduced you to Cami as my girlfriend, so it would be strange if you just up and disappeared in a few days. Honestly, it would make me seem pathetic." I could see his point.

"How long would I be pretending for?" Because although I didn't know where I would be going next, I had places to be.

"Uh…" He thought about it for a second. "Two months?"

I felt myself gaping at him. _Two months?_ I hadn't stayed anywhere for more than a month and a half. Before I could flat out refuse, he spoke again.

"I'll pay you," he added quickly. Whether that was originally part of his plan or he had just added it right now to get me to say yes, I couldn't figure it out.

"So what, I'd be prostituting myself?"

"No! No, no," his eyes were wide. "No it wouldn't be that way at all." And I felt a little pang because although I was glad that he wouldn't stoop low enough to buy sex, his reaction made me feel like he was saying that he would never in a million years have sex with me. Well, his heart belonged to someone else anyways.

"What way would it be, then?"

"You would just have to go out in public with me. Walk around town, hang out, go to some events. Just so that people believe it and so that Cami believes it."

"You want to get people talking?" Because, again, small town. Nik, who had apparently lived here for most of his life, bringing home a girl would probably be the talk of the town for a few weeks.

"Yes," he nodded. "If people talk, it'll get to Cami."

"And that's all I have to do? Hang around you and make it seem like we're a couple in love?" That didn't sound that hard.

"Yes," he said. "You'd have to move in with me, too."

"Why?"

"Because it would be strange that I would let my lovely girlfriend stay at a bed and breakfast."

I could see his point. "Okay, so I'll stay with you and pretend to be your girlfriend for two months. What if Cami decides she wants you back before then?"

He thought about that for another second and I could just see the gears turning in his head. "I'll pay you four thousand dollars a week to pretend to be my girlfriend. If I get Cami back before the two months are up, I'll double whatever you already have."

" _What?"_

"Four thousand dollars a we-"

I lifted a hand up. "I heard what you said," I started. "But...Nik, that's," I lowered my voice because there were people walking around. "That's a ridiculous amount of money!" I whisper yelled.

He shrugged. "It's fine. If there's one thing I have enough of, it's money."

 _Well, shit, when you put it that way._

"So those are your terms?" I asked.

"One more thing," he started. "I'll pay for everything while you're here. Food, clothes, any expenses. The money I pay you for doing this is for you to do with what you please when you leave."

"Okay, no, I don't agree with that."

"Caroline-"

"No, okay? I'll do whatever I want with the money whenever I want. That's my only term. If you can't live with that, then I can't live with you." _Ha! That was an awesome line!_

"So if I agree with your term, you'll do it?" His eyes lit up.

 _Damn._ I was going to play hard ball, let him sweat it out for a few minutes. But this was an offer that… I really could not refuse. It would make my life a little easier.

"Yes, I'll do it."

The words tasted like gravel and I could feel my dignity depreciating as I said them. I felt cheap. But hey, if he got the love of his life back, it would be worth it right? And the money would definitely help me out.

He let out a breath. "Okay."

"Okay," _cue awkward silence._ "So, when do I start?"

He looked down at his watch. "Right about now."

* * *

 **Gonna clear things up here:**

 **\- The "she" that Klaus has been ominously mentioning in his thoughts is Cami.**

 **\- Klaus and Caroline are seemingly polar opposites. Caroline has a really whirlwind personality, goes with the flow, and is a free spirit. Klaus if more rigid in his ways, more serious, a little controlling, and tends to stick to his plans.**

 **So... where would you go to find a whirlwind romance?**

 **(Leave me your thoughts, I'll update soon)**


	5. The Reception Part I

**Recommended Soundtrack: Life on the Nickle / Foster The People**

 **(I would go looking for a whirlwind romance in Key West with a scuba diving instructor or something)**

* * *

KPOV

 _I can't believe I just asked her to do that._

I just asked a total stranger, who may or may not be absolutely insane and can formulate an elaborate lie on the spot, to pretend to be my girlfriend. And to live in my house. For two months.

Do I really love Camille this much? Yes, I do.

Being with Camille had been so easy, and felt so right. Getting her back was the most logical thing to do. It just made sense.

"Right now?" Caroline asked.

"Yes," I nodded. The parade had ended and most of the crowd was breaking off and getting ready to head off to the reception at the Lockwoods'. "There's a reception at the mayor's mansion."

"And I have to go with you?"

"Yes."

"Alrighty," she conceded, looping her arm through mine. "Where to?"

I led her in the general direction of my car since we would be driving there.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Yes, I was giving her one more chance to get out. Not that I didn't think it would work. I was almost one hundred percent certain that Caroline was my key to getting Camille back. The look on her face when she saw Caroline and I talking and laughing was one that I'd never seen before. Even when we were together, she Camille had never been jealous. When we would go out and other women would approach me, she was always calm, cool and collected. She trust me.

"With what?" Caroline asked.

"This," I gestured between us.

"You mean our deal?" I nodded. She shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not totally comfortable. But then again, who would be, right?" She sighed. "But, I can see you really love this girl. And it isn't like we're sabotaging her relationship with this other guy. We're just making sure that she...explores her feelings before committing to a long term relationship with Marcel. If she realizes that she still has feelings for you, you two get back together and live happily ever after, I get paid, and Marcel gets to cry himself to sleep. Bada-bing, bada-boom, everyone's a winner!" She added the last part in a ridiculous attempt at an Italian accent and threw her free hand up.

I laughed at her antics, appreciating her take on the situation. I felt a little less like a douchebag for putting her up to this.

"Thank you for doing this," I said earnestly.

"It's no problem," she said. "As you can probably tell, I don't have much to do. I'm always looking for activities to fill up my time, and this seems like an interesting experience."

The way she spoke was entrancing. She had such a positive outlook on everything, it was hard not to feel hopeful when she spoke.

"Here," I said once we reached the SUV. I unlocked and opened her door for her, letting her climb in before going around to the driver's side.

The drive to Lockwood mansion was strangely quiet. Caroline said nothing, her gaze fixed on the sights outside her window. She kept her right hand on her camera the whole ride.

When we reached the mansion, I helped Caroline out and then let the valet take the car.

"Holy cow," Caroline exclaimed, looking up at the mansion.

It was slightly larger than mine, and had a grander entrance, having been built on higher ground. All of the window curtains had been pulled back and the chandeliers in almost every room illuminated the windows. There was a steady stream of towns people flowing in, all dressed in 19th century attire. Like I said, small town folks take their small town events seriously.

I led Caroline up the steps and she kept her eyes trained on the satin banners draping down from the roof between every column. They were embroidered with the Mystic Falls seal and said _Happy Founder's Day._

Caroline leaned into me as we reached the final steps, lowering her voice. "I wonder what their shed looks like."

I grinned down at her and she smiled back up at me. She was completely unpredictable.

I led her to the front double doors where the mayor's wife and son were greeting each guest.

"Klaus, what a wonderful surprise!" Carol Lockwood exclaimed when it was our turn to be greeted. _Was it really a surprise to everyone that I was here?_

She gripped me by the shoulders and made a show of kissing my cheeks, adding a loud _Muah!_ with each kiss. I resisted the urge to cringe.

"Carol," I said as politely as I could muster and gave her a nod. Her red lips curled up into a smirk and I repressed a shiver. She gave me the creeps. Seriously, she had WANNABE COUGAR MOM stamped across her forehead.

"And who's this young lady?" She turned her sights on Caroline, practically spitting out the word _young._

"Mrs. Lockwood, meet my lovely girlfriend, Caroline.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Lockwood," Caroline said ever so kindly, holding out her hand.

"Oh, dear, call me Carol!" She gushed with mock enthusiasm, taking Caroline's hand in hers. " _Mrs. Lockwood_ makes me sound like an old hag. Klaus here is just being a gentleman."

Caroline let out a forced laugh, looking at me through her peripheral. I swallowed back a laugh at the rather uncomfortable situation. Carol still hadn't let go.

"Oh, hold on - Tyler!" She called across to her son. The younger Lockwood came up to stand next to his mother. "Klaus is here with his little girlfriend, Caroline."

"Klaus, hey man, how you doing?" Tyler held his hand out towards me. When I placed my hand in his, he shook it with enthusiasm.

Then he turned to Caroline. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Caroline," he said.

As she shook his hand I watched them carefully.

Tyler was three years younger than me, so he was just about two years older than Caroline. He had been part of the football team when in high school, and last I heard, he took over as quarterback two years after I had graduated.

He was smiling wolfishly at Caroline, his eyes fixed on hers. But when Caroline had introduced herself to him, she let go of his hand and turned to Carol, complimenting her on her dress, and Tyler's eyes dropped to her chest.

 _Oh, fuck no._

I waited two seconds while Carol commented on Caroline's dress before pulling Caroline away from the Lockwoods.

She waited until we were out of earshot to speak.

"Oh my _God_ ," she exclaimed. I looked down at her. "Was that really weird and slightly awkward or was that just me?"

"No, you're dead on," I deadpanned.

"Jesus Christ did you see how she harped on how young I supposedly am? I don't look like a girl in this dress do I?" She looked down at herself and I did my best not to. I didn't know whether or not she was baiting me, but she wasn't catching me looking at her amazing tits again.

"No, not at all," I said. "But you're right. For a second I felt like dating you would be illegal."

"Huh," she said. "Hey, how old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-seven," I supplied, grabbing two champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handing one to her.

"Ah, okay," she said. "But, yeah, Mrs. Lockwood- whoops, I mean _Carol_ \- definitely has a thing for you. She was totally undressing you with her eyes."

"Ugh," I shivered, feeling violated. I took a sip of champagne and Caroline laughed. "She has a thing for anyone who's at least twenty years younger than her."

"How old is she?"

"I have no idea. I think she turned thirty-nine last year…"

"Oh, that's not that ol-"

"For the ninth time." I finished.

Caroline was silent for a second before she broke out into laughter. She was at it for a while, and ended up wiping away a few stray tears. "That is _golden_ ," she said, taking a sip from her glass.

We settled into mingling then, walking around the room and speaking with whoever caught our fancy. Well, mostly Caroline's fancy. She would pick out people for specific reasons, and would make sure I knew about them right before we proceeded to chatting them up.

" _Let's go talk to her. Her hair looks like it's about to topple off her head and onto the o'dourves."_

I came to realize early on in the evening that Caroline was very charismatic. She approached everyone with a very warm and open demeanor, and made sure to compliment everyone on their attire. She even offered to take pictures of some people, promising she would email it to them as soon as she got the chance. That's when I would step in, getting everyone's email down on my phone because Caroline had nothing to write them down on.

She'd crack jokes and and made some rather interesting small talk.

When people asked how we had met, she would let me tell the lie, of course leaving out the more explicit bits that she had added for Camille. When I would finish, she would rest her head on my shoulder, wistfully adding how we've been inseparable since we met. She had women sighing at our story and men congratulating me on landing such a fantastic girl.

When it was time to part ways, she would wish everyone a good evening, addressing them by name.

By the time they opened the ballroom for dancing, I was thoroughly impressed and equally surprised with her.

A live band began to play, some nineteenth century style tunes. I took Caroline's champagne glass, which she had hardly touched, and placed it on a passing tray.

"Care to dance?" I asked, holding a hand out to her.

"That sounds divine, kind sir," she replied in an absolutely terrible imitation of my accent. I scoffed as she placed her hand in mine and lead her through the dancing couples. When we arrived at the center of the dance floor, I faced her, keeping her right hand in my left and sliding my right arm around her waist.

Then we were off, moving in time with the music.

"That was impressive," I commented.

"What?"

"The way you interacted with people."

"Oh, that," she shrugged. "Talking to people is easy. It's part of my job description."

"And what's your job?" I was more than a little curious. She was a complete mystery, this crazy, beautiful woman in my arms.

"At the moment, it's pretend girlfriend," she whispered.

 _Right, I should have known._

"And as Niklaus Mikaelson's pretend girlfriend, I have to get the whole town abuzz with news of our relationship and make everyone think that we're head over heels for one another," she smiled, looking rather smug.

I was about to say something back when I caught sight of Camille and Marcel walking onto the dancefloor over Caroline's shoulder. He lead her on and then twirled her before pressing her body to his, beginning to sway smoothly to the music.

My jaw clenched. Memories of Camille and I together assaulted me. She had never liked to dance. Whenever I asked her to, she was adamant about it, saying that she couldn't dance, that she didn't know how, that she didn't like dancing, that…

I felt a gentle touch on my jaw and looked down at Caroline. She gave me a soft smile.

"Keep your eyes on me," she said, adjusting her camera so that the strap slung over her shoulder and the camera settled at the small of her back instead of between our bodies. "If they catch you staring, the whole 'couple-deeply-in-love' thing won't be believable."

I nodded, because she did have a point. Instinctively I pulled her closer, and she matched me step for step as I slowed the tempo of our movements.

"You're a good dancer."

"Thank you," she said, accepting the compliment. "You're not too bad yourself, twinkle-toes. Where did you learn how to dance?"

I scoffed at the nickname, but answered her anyways. "I was my sister's escort to a beauty pageant. There was a dance, I had to learn."

She laughed. "How brotherly of you."

"Oh, I had no choice. My brothers and I held a rock-paper-scissors contest to see who would be unlucky enough to get stuck with the duty. I swear to this day, they cheated."

"Well, it's a good thing you learned, or else this wouldn't be going so smoothly."

I chuckled, finally relaxing. She had a way of doing that.

For the rest of the time that we danced, I kept my eyes on Caroline. It wasn't hard- getting lost in her eyes was easy.

As we swayed to the music, I couldn't help but think, how good Caroline Forbes was at her job.

* * *

 **So, should we call her _Creepy Carol_ or _Cougar Carol?_**

 **(Leave me your thoughts and I'll update in less than 24 hrs (Yes, I'm baiting you to review haha))**


	6. The Reception Part II

**Recommended Soundtrack: Too Late / M86**

 **(Majority vote decided... _Creepy Carol!_ She'll make an appearance later on)**

* * *

CPOV

"I need some air."

 _Honestly, why was it so hot in here?_ It's September for Christ sakes. _Maybe it's this dress?_ It's probably the dress.

"I'll take you outside," Nik said, slowing us down and taking me my the elbow, leading me out of the ball room and towards the back of the house so that we could go out to the gardens. This mansion was similar to Nik's, but not identical. I don't think there was a ballroom at Nik's house.

When he opened one of the back doors, a gush of cold air washed over me. I instantly felt the thin sheen of sweat on my skin freeze. _Ew._

We walked down the steps towards a bench and sat down.

The Lockwood backyard was less impressive than Nik's. It was mostly just a large expanse of grass. In the distance, I could see a little bridge, so there was probably a stream or something running through the property. There were some hedges, but they were pretty basic.

I shivered involuntarily.

"Cold?" Nik asked.

"Yes," I said, wrapping my arms around myself. "Feel free to be a cliche boyfriend and wrap me in your jacket."

He chuckled, but from the corner of my eye I saw him shrug out of his jacket and place it on my shoulders, clasping the button in front closed.

"I'm not doing it to be a cliche," he said and I gave him a grateful smile. I turned and let out a breath, watching as it condensed in the air and swirled up into the night sky.

I caught sight of movement on the balcony and saw Cami and Marcel sitting there. They weren't looking at us, but it was a pretty big coincidence that they had gone out at the same time as us, if I do say so myself.

I sat back and looked over at Nik. "Cami and Marcel are on the balcony."

He tensed for a second, his neck stiffening. It looked like he was about to look over when he caught himself and thought better of it. Instead, he leaned back as I had, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

I wiggled around, tucking my shoulder into his side and letting my head rest on his arm.

We were silent for a moment, and then sounds of laughter streamed down from the balcony.

"Why did you say Paris?" I asked.

"Huh?" He hadn't been paying attention. I rolled my eyes.

"Why did you say Paris when Camille asked where we met? I said a bar because it's a pretty common place to meet. But _Paris?"_

He chuckled. "I was in Paris about three weeks ago."

"Doing what?"

"Buying art," he paused. "Didn't you hear what I said to Camille when I was giving her an explanation on how we met?"

"Honestly, the first few seconds of that conversation were a complete blur for me."

"Well," he started, and I finally looked up at him, sneaking a glance at Camille and Marcel as I did. They were making out. Fantastic. "I guess I should tell you about my job, since you're supposed to be my girlfriend and all."

"Yes, I believe that's information I should be privy to," I responded in my best serious voice. He glanced at me through the corner of his eye, the edge of his raspberry lips turning up ever so slightly. He looked forward again.

"Do you know what a curator is?"

"Those people in museums that are in charge of organizing exhibitions and all that jazz?"

He chuckled. "That's...yes, that's right," another chuckle. "Alright, so for these exhibitions, the curators need to select paintings and sculptures, correct?"

"Correct," I nodded.

"That's where I come in. I consult curators on what pieces to include in their exhibitions, or what artist to consider picking artwork from. I'm usually the middle man between the artists and the museum. If the museum wants to purchase a piece, I work out the details and talk to the artist."

"Huh, so you're like… an Art Scout."

He was silent for a second, but then I felt his arm shaking. I looked up again, and he had his eyes closed, his lips pursed, trying to contain his laughter.

I waited a few seconds for his laughter to abate, but it didn't.

"What's so funny?"

"You!" He said, letting out a couple more chortles before speaking regularly. "The things that come out of your mouth are so unexpected."

I shrugged, setting my head back on his shoulder, letting out a sigh. "I get that a lot."

"It's not a bad thing," he said gently.

"I know," I whispered, not even sure if he heard me.

We were silent for some time. I couldn't see his face, so I didn't know if he was thinking. I wasn't really thinking. My brain was like...quiet.

"Where did you come from?"

I sat up, looking at him. He had asked the question in such a low voice, I wasn't sure if he had meant to whisper or if he was just thinking out loud.

He was looking at me, too, so I decided that he had meant to ask me.

"Well," I started. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"

"No!" He cut me off, laughing again. I liked his laugh. I liked the way he looked when he laughed. His eyes sparkled and his lips stretched up into a beautiful smile, showing me his perfect teeth. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I suddenly wished that we weren't out in the dark so that I could capture the moment.

I could imagine him, in the light of the setting sun, a gentle breeze ruffling his curls ever so gently…

"I meant where are you from?"

"Oh, right," _to lie or not to lie._ "I'm from Illinois." _Not to lie it is._

"Illinois?" He said incredulously.

"Yeah, what did you expect?"

He blanched. "I was expecting California or Florida to be honest."

"California or Florida? Why those two?"

He just looked at me, not answering right away. "I don't know. Where in Illinois are you from? Chicago? Springfield?"

 _Typical._ "Close," I started. "Roseville."

"Roseville?" His brow scrunched up as he thought. _Yeah, you don't know it, buddy._

"That was exactly the look I had on my face when I saw Mystic Falls on the map."

"So it's a small town?"

"Yes, sir."

He smirked. "You're a small town girl."

I couldn't help it, I broke out into song, holding my fist up to my mouth as if I was holding a microphone. " _Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world! She took the midnight train goin' an-y-where!"_

"You're crazy," he said, shaking his head.

"I prefer the term _eccentric."_

"Oh, you're eccentric, alright." He shook his head, mouthing the word 'crazy'. I smacked his arm. "Why did you leave?" He asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," I observed.

"I believe this is information I should be privy to," he replied innocently. _Son of a bitch, he threw my words right back at me!_ I narrowed my eyes, regarding him carefully. Behind him, I saw Camille and Marcel leaving, and I jumped on the opportunity.

"Camille and Marcel went inside," I said in a low voice.

He turned and looked at the balcony. Seeing that it was empty, he turned back to me. "It appears they have."

"Right. So no need to appear engaged anymore," I scooted away from him half an inch, but he got the idea. He removed his arm from around my shoulder, and although I had his jacket to keep me warm, I felt a little colder.

"You're avoiding my question," he stated.

"Uh huh," I said, standing up.

He didn't say anything else. Thank God he wasn't one of those clueless bastards that couldn't figure out when to stop pushing. If he would have been, I would have totally reconsidered this whole deal.

Staying here wasn't originally part of my plan, but then again, I didn't have a plan to begin with. But I had rules- don't stay longer than necessary, and don't get attached.

Two months pretending to be one man's girlfriend was the sort of situation that had the potential to shatter both those rules.

But I couldn't let that happen. There were people depending on me to keep moving, to keep doing what I was doing.

The only reason I was staying was because the pros outweighed the cons, the major pro being that I could make so much more money here in two months than I could in two months on the road.

 _It's going to be fine. Just draw a line and don't cross it._

Even as I thought it, I knew it was easier said than done.

* * *

 **Short chapter, I know. But hey, you got some Care backstory. Some of you guys were asking for her background, but I can't reveal it all in one shot! You'll just have to stick around to find out.**

 **I'll be putting up the next chap later on today :) (it's 8:50 a.m. for me right now)**


	7. Friendship or Worse

**Recommended Soundtrack: Jet Pack Blues / Fall Out Boy**

* * *

KPOV

Caroline avoided my question about why she left her hometown. I half expected it, but I was hoping that she would at least give me a clue. There was obviously a reason as to why she had left, and why, as far as I could tell, she was homeless.

 _Was it by choice?_

"We should get going. I don't like staying at these things very long." I stood, offering my arm to her. She took it and mumbled a consent, but I could see she was deep in thought about something.

We managed to leave the party without running into Carol, or Tyler.

The valet brought my car around and I helped Caroline into the passenger side.

I was pulling out of the Lockwood driveway and turning in the direction of my own home when Caroline spoke up.

"Wait! I left my things in my room at the bed and breakfast back in town!"

"Right," I mumbled, switching my blinker to the left and proceeding to driving into town.

Caroline was quiet again.

 _Camille and Marcel went inside...no need to appear engaged anymore._

Honestly, I hadn't engaged her in conversation to appear as if we were having a good time in front of Marcel and Camille. Although, that was definitely a part of it, I think. I just wanted to make this experience as bearable as possible.

Caroline was an easy person to get along with. She was always vibrant and full of energy. Full of...light. It was the best way I could phrase it.

When she had said she came from Illinois, it did seem a little strange. Illinois just didn't seem to fit her persona. She seemed like a girl who spent her days out in the sun, smiling and laughing with friends.

So it wasn't hard for me to imagine her riding a bike down the streets of Miami or Malibu. I could see her, in my mind's eye, sunbathing and eating ice cream. She seemed like the person who would jump off a pier and into crystalline waters just for the hell of it.

Of course, thoughts of her in tropical settings included Caroline in a bikini. I knew what her bare legs looked like and what her feet looked like with her toes painted blue. And thanks to her inability to stay moderately still while sleeping, I had caught a glimpse of her bare hips in barely there panties and some of her stomach.

So it was easy to imagine her sun kissed and smiling. _Would her skin turn pink or golden when she spent a whole day in the sun?_

I cleared my throat as we reached the center of town, clearing my head. These thoughts had the potential to be very, very dangerous.

"Which bed and breakfast are you staying in?" There were two.

"Uh," she started. "Just make a right on that street and it'll be about a block down on the left." I nodded and followed her directions.

We were there less than a minute later. I parked the car in one of the empty parking spaces. I was about to pull the key out of the ignition when Caroline threw open her door and hopped out. "I'll just be a minute!" She called over her shoulder as she skipped up the stairs and into the two story house.

I _was_ going to go help her get her stuff and check out, but I guess she wouldn't be needing my assistance.

I sat back and waited for her to return. I didn't have to wait long, because just over a minute later, she emerged from the door, calling her goodbyes over her shoulder.

She had stuck her hands through the sleeves of my jacket and had her knapsack on her back. Her camera wasn't around her neck anymore, so I assumed she had put it away in her bag.

She picked up her skirts and carefully walked down the small flight of stairs. When she reached the sidewalk, she walked purposefully over to the car, opened the door and climbed into the passenger side.

"Alright," she said, removing her knapsack from her back and setting it on the floor in front of her. "Ready, spaghetti."

I snorted. "Is that all you have?" I asked, looking down at her bag. It would be described as a large knapsack, but I couldn't imagine someone carrying everything they could need in just that bag.

"Sure is," she nodded, ignoring my skeptical tone. From what I could tell, she wasn't going to offer any further explanation. So I pulled out of the driveway and headed for home.

She didn't speak on the way there either, and just kept hold of her knapsack. I wanted to break the silence, say anything. But I really had nothing to say. And the things I wanted to say were questions.

 _Why did you leave? Why are you living like this? What's in your bag? Is it really enough?_

I had a gut feeling she wouldn't answer any of my questions.

Maybe it was best this way. If I asked questions, and she gave answers, I would be getting to know her. Getting to know her would probably lead to friendship...or worse.

Being friends with Caroline would make me feel like an even bigger dick for asking her to do this. Although she had told me already that she was fine with doing this, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that although we were both consenting, that this was wrong.

But I needed to get Cami back, and this was the only way I could see doing it. If I let this chance pass me by, who knows when I'd be able to catch another break?

So yes, I was doing this. And Caroline was okay with it. It wasn't like she was getting a bad deal out of it- I _am_ going to be paying her. I wasn't going to not compensate her for doing this.

So maybe it was okay that she was keeping me at arm's length. We would pretend to be totally in love when eyes were on us, but away from everyone, we would just… give each other space. There was no need for twenty questions. We would get to know the basics about one another, just in case people, namely Camille, started asking questions.

And no one was aware of her nomadic lifestyle save for me and her, so it wouldn't be strange that she moved from Roseville, Illinois to Mystic Falls, Virginia.

 _But what about her family?_ I would probably need to know that at a certain point. I'd ask her later.

I turned into the driveway and parked in front of the door. Caroline hopped out of the car and slung her bag over her shoulder. She waited for me at the front door, and I stepped up to unlock it.

This was strange.

The last time I had led her into my house it had been through the back door after discovering her in my shed at three in the morning. Now I was leading her into my house through the front door after making a deal with her to uphold a pretend romantic relationship.

Last time it had felt less awkward than now.

"Uh," I started. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Okay," I said, and led her towards the stairs. "You were okay with your room last time?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

We ascended the stairs without saying a word. I walked her to her room, opened the door and turned on the lights, much like I had before.

 _Well...okay._

"If you need anything-"

"You're right across the hall," Caroline finished for me, dropping her knapsack in the same chair she had dropped it last time. "I remember."

"Right," I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Right. Oh, wait," she unbuttoned my jacket and slipped it off her shoulders, walking over to me with it extended towards me. "Here. Thanks for lending it to me."

"No problem."

Silence. Awkward silence.

Caroline yawned and I took that as a cue. "I'll let you rest. Goodnight, Caroline." I walked back towards the door.

"Goodnight, Nik," she gave me a small wave and I closed the door behind me.

I didn't know what to make of the moment. It had been...awkward, for lack of a better word. But awkward didn't seem to describe it fully. It had been bland.

I wasn't used to bland when around Caroline. She was anything but bland. And I had only known her for a few hours.

Realizing I still hadn't moved from in front of Caroline's door, I set myself into motion and went towards my room, which was literally right across the hall.

I stripped out of my period clothing and threw it into the hamper. I would have it dry cleaned and then it would go into a garment bag and into the back of my closet. Maybe Kol would want it or something.

I brushed my teeth, flossed, gargled mouthwash and then washed my face. Then I got into bed and closed my eyes and willed myself to go to sleep.

Sleeping had been an issue for me recently. I don't remember when it started, I just haven't been having any luck with sleeping at a decent time. Which was fine, since I had work to do most of the time.

But I had no work to do today.

And I had yet to move my studio from my apartment over to this house, so I couldn't paint. Not like I would be able to anyways. I'd been suffering from a creativity block as well.

There was a knock on my door. I looked over at the clock on my night stand. It was just past midnight, which meant I had left Caroline in her room about fifteen minutes before.

I got out of bed, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and pulling them on before going to open the door.

There stood Caroline, in the middle of the hallway. Her hair wasn't pinned back anymore. She had twisted it up into a bun that sat at the top of her head. Her hands were on her hips, she was breathing heavily, she was flushed, and she was still in her dress.

"Are you alright?" I asked, because she didn't seem alright. She seemed flustered.

"Yeah, um," she took a few breaths before continuing. "See, the lady at the dress rental place helped me into this dress. Not literally- I put it on and then she helped with the back because it's a whole row of laces and I thought 'Gee, it's not going to be hard to take off'," another breath. "But apparently, the dress rental place lady double knotted it and now I can't get it off and my arms hurt and...help," she huffed.

I couldn't help but chuckle, because it was funny when she was flustered. She rambled, and it was adorable.

"Turn around," I said, and she complied.

She wasn't kidding when she said a whole row of laces. The back dipped low, exposing about a third of her back. The laces started right at the top, and went down to where her skirt began. There was a knot tied at the top of the laces, and it seemed to be pulled rather tight.

I reached out and started working on the knot, doing my best to undo it.

I tried to focus as much on my work as possible, but as the seconds passed and the knot wouldn't budge, my eyes started drifting up.

With her hair pulled up into a bun, it left all her neck, shoulders and back exposed. Her skin looked incredibly soft. It reminded me of vanilla. And the _smell_ coming off of her skin. I couldn't place the exact scent, but it was sweet.

After a few more seconds of pulling, I huffed.

"I can't get it undone with my fingers."

"Ugh, _fantastic,"_ she groaned sarcastically, and threw her head back, her eyes closed. She took a deep breath.

I swallowed, because what hot blooded male wouldn't react to the sight of a woman throwing her head back and groaning.

"I could try with my teeth?" I suggested and her eyes snapped open.

She looked at me for a second before straightening again. "Go for it," she said with a shrug.

 _Alright._

I leaned forward again, going slowly so as to not startle her. When I was close enough I bared my teeth and bit down on one of the loops in the knot. I tugged on it a few times, but couldn't get it loose. Instinctively, I grabbed hold of Caroline's waist to keep her steady.

After a couple more tugs, during which my cheek brushed up against the bare skin of her back, I was able to get the knot loose. I did the rest of the undoing with my fingers.

"Do you want me to loosen the lacing a bit so you don't have to struggle as much?"

"Please," she breathed. I didn't know what to make of her tone.

I pulled at the laces a little, not enough so that her dress would come undone but enough that she could wiggle out of it.

"All done," I said, taking a step back.

She turned and gave me a small smile. "Thank you," she said. "Sorry to have woken you."

"It's okay, I hadn't gone to sleep yet."

"Oh, okay. Well, goodnight. Again," she said, walking back towards her room.

"Goodnight," I said. She closed her door. I closed mine, then banged my forehead against it.

 _Getting to know her would probably lead to friendship...or worse._

Yeah, this was definitely worse.

* * *

 **Oh, Klausy, you're in trouble.**

 **A Salvatore will be introduced next chapter. Who do you think it'll be?**

 **Also, thank you for all your lovely reviews :-)**


	8. Another Morning After

**Recommended Soundtrack: I Wanna / All American Rejects**

* * *

CPOV

"I can't get it undone with my fingers." _Fan-fucking-tastic._

My neck, shoulders and arms hurt from having been turning and twisting in front of the bathroom mirror for a good ten minutes trying to undo the knot. But I could barely reach it, let alone tug it loose. Nik had been my last hope.

"Ugh, fantastic." I threw my head back and groaned as the ache in my neck began to eb.

I could just cut the knot loose, but again, that would constitute as damage to the dress and I didn't have the money to swing it. Sleeping in it wouldn't be so bad. I would have some gnarly welts on my skin from the fabric come morning, but if the lady at the store cut it then I don't think it would constitute as damage on my part. Right?

"I could try with my teeth?" _What?_

I opened my eyes. He was looking down at me, and I was pretty sure he had just suggested to use his teeth to undo the knot. Ergo, his mouth would be barely an inch away from my skin. The thought gave me tingles.

 _Calm the fuck down, Caroline. Okay._

I straightened and willed my voice to sound as casual as possible as I spoke. "Go for it," I shrugged.

And then I held my breath. The seconds passed and nothing happened. I was about to turn around and check if he was still there when I felt his warm breath hit my back. Then I felt a tug, and another, and I bit my lip because suddenly I was really, really hot.

And then he grabbed hold of my waist to keep me still. At this point I was biting down on my lip so hard it wouldn't surprise me if I drew blood. _Sorry, lip. I promise I'll whip up a lip scrub and slather on some lip balm, you'll be good as new._

His stubbly cheek rubbed against my back. I felt the goosebumps start to prickle on my arms and legs and prayed to God it wouldn't spread to my back.

He gave a couple more tugs and then he was undoing the knot with his fingers.

"Do you want me to loosen the lacing a bit so you don't have to struggle as much?"

" _Please_."

Oh, shit. That was my sex voice. Shit, shit, _shit, shit…_

He loosened the laces a bit and I finally let myself breathe. "All done."

I turned and thanked him, being careful with my movements so that the dress wouldn't suddenly decide to slip to the ground. That kind of thing _would_ happen to me.

We said good night again and then I went into my room, closed the door, and leaned against it.

If that was any indicator of the tension that would transpire between Nik and I when we were alone, then I would have to stay _far, far_ away from him when no one was watching.

* * *

I didn't sleep well.

At first it took a lot of concentration and meditation techniques to even fall asleep, and then I had woken up four times during the night. It was frustrating.

So I woke up a little cranky.

I took a shower and did my best to enjoy it, imagining all bad energies being washed off my body with the warm spray and swirling down the drain.

It didn't help much.

Finally deciding that only a nice, big breakfast would lighten my mood, I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and left the safe haven that was my bedroom. Out in the house, my chances of bumping into Nik were very, very high.

 _Duh, he lives here._

Since I was barefoot, I hardly made any sound while going down the stairs and to the kitchen. It gave me a chance to listen and figure out where Nik was.

He wasn't in the kitchen, and I let out a sigh of relief.

I got to work on replicating the breakfast I had made myself when I had stayed here two days before. Soon, I was feeling better.

I was less tense, whisking eggs and getting the pancake batter ready. Cooking and cleaning had always been my secret to getting rid of stress. I was an incredibly uptight teenager. My mentally at the time was that if I was going to be getting rid of stress, I might as well do it in a productive way.

The habit had stuck. Even though I had removed the stick that had been up my ass for like nineteen years, the only way I could de-stress was to either cook or clean.

So I was perfectly loose, even dancing and humming along to a tune I had stuck in my head, when I turned around and caught sight of Nik standing at the kitchen doorway.

I froze mid whisk.

He was wearing a black Henley and dark jeans and boots and he looked totally hot.

 _It's only awkward if you make it awkward, it's only awkward if you make it awkward…_

With my new mantra in mind, I plastered a smile on my face and spoke cheerfully. "Good morning," I said, and resumed whisking. I could smell the warm oil from the pan behind me, so I turned and poured the egg mixture.

"Good morning," he said from behind me and I heard one of the stools scrape against the floor. "What are you having for breakfast?"

"Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and toast. Want some?"

"No, thank you, I already had breakfast."

"Oh, okay."

The only sounds that filled the room for the next couple of minutes were the sounds of sizzling bacon and the scrape of the spatula against the pan every time I moved the eggs.

I made myself two pancakes. They were plain, and I made myself a mental note to get chocolate chips at some point during my stay. Of course I knew I could make banana or blueberry pancakes, God knows Nik had an endless supply of fruits. But I had made a pact with myself long ago- I would never put fruit in my pancakes.

The toast popped up from the toaster. I buttered it, served myself some milk, and sat down at the island. I had made sure to leave one stool between Nik and I.

The need to end the awkward silence was making my head pound, but I couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make me blush.

I was chewing on one of my bacon strips when I looked up at Nik. He was staring at my mouth, or more precisely, my bacon. He swallowed.

"You sure you don't want?" I asked, holding out my bacon to him.

He stared at the strip of meaty delight in my hand for a full five seconds before shaking his head and declining politely.

"Are you sure? You aren't a vegetarian or anything, are you?" Because then I would feel like a total bitch.

"No," he shook his head again. "I just haven't had bacon in years."

"Why?"

"It has a high fat content."

"So?"

"It's detrimental for cholesterol."

"You have high cholesterol?"

"No, I'm in perfect health."

"Again," I started, kind of exasperated. "I don't see why you can't have bacon."

He frowned. "Excuse me if I want my good health to last past my forties."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, listen. My father was exactly like you- he ate his fruits and veggies, stayed away from the junk food and exercised daily. I'm assuming you exercise daily?" He nodded. "Right. So he did all that, and one day, out of nowhere, he had a heart attack and died."

Nik was silent, so I continued. "He was in his mid forties and he was in great health- _perfect_ health, you might say. But it happened."

"I'm sorry to hear."

I shrugged. "It's fine, it was a few years ago already. Anyways, from that point forward, I realized, that when your time comes, your times comes. No matter how much you prepare, or how hard you work to put it off, your day is your day," I took a bite of my bacon to serve as prelude to my finishing point. "So why deprive yourself of the simple delights in life, like bacon?"

He didn't answer, and I shrugged again. I didn't look at him while I finished breakfast. If he had that look of pity in his eyes like everyone else did when they found out about my dad, I think I would lose my shit.

So when I finished, I rinsed my dishes and put them in the dishwasher, dried my hands and turned back to him. He was sitting exactly in the same way I had left him, and he was still staring at me.

"I have a few errands I need to run today," I said. It wasn't a lie, I had things to do. But I really needed to get away from him for a couple of hours at least.

"Alright, I'll take you." _Well that defeats the purpose._

"I wouldn't want to bother you, you probably have work to do."

He shook his head slightly. "It's not a problem."

"No really, I don't want to be a bother."

"You aren't."

"Okay," I started, throwing the towel in my hands on the counter in an attempt to convey my exasperation. "You either aren't getting the hint, or you're being purposefully obtuse."

His eyebrows shot up. "You don't wish for me to accompany you?"

It sounded a lot like a question, but I'm pretty sure he caught my drift. I shook my head.

He nodded. "I see."

Awkward silence.

Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the kitchen, which pissed me off. I was starting to get the sense that Nik was the type of guy that was stuck in his ways.

No matter. I was only his pretend girlfriend, and he had no say over what I did. Even if I was his real girlfriend, he wouldn't have a say in the things I did. I didn't work that way.

So I left the kitchen and went up to my room, making the bed and pulling on my socks and Chucks.

I would need to take my knapsack. It took about five minutes of internal debate, but I decided that unpacking my stuff would be the prudent thing to do.

I didn't have much. Just a couple of articles of clothing, my notebook and two pens, my camera, a map I had purchased of the local area and my wallet. My toothbrush, hair brush and travel sized body soap, shampoo and conditioner were already in the bathroom.

So I folded my clothes and set out to find somewhere to put them. There was a wooden wardrobe against one wall. It had double doors at the top and two drawers at the bottom. I opened one drawer, and put my clothes in there. They didn't even take up half the space.

I kept my notebook, camera and wallet, and decided to leave the map here, too. I didn't really need it right now.

I pulled on a cardigan, knowing that it would be a little chilly outside. It was already late September. If I was going to stay for another two months, I would need to get some warmer clothes.

Adding that to my to-do list, I slung my knapsack over my shoulders and set out into the world again. I was halfway out the door when Nik stepped into the parlor, effectively stopping me in my tracks.

"Are you leaving?"

"Um, yes?" _Hadn't I said I was?_

He stared at me blankly. "I thought we had a deal," he said, his tone unreadable.

"We did," I nodded. "But nowhere in that deal did you ever say that you would be babysitting me twenty-four seven," I snapped. I hadn't meant to, but I did. Oh, well.

"Well, wouldn't you going out by yourself go against the whole couple-in-love- charade we were trying to pull off?"

"Haven't you ever heard of _space_? What, did you and Camille do everything together?" I let out a humorless laugh. His jaw clenched. "Wait, did you do everything together?"

"Camille would never believe that I would let you just go out on your own during the first few months of our relationship. We were together all the time."

The thought of Camille and Klaus spending every minute of every day with each other and doing everything together made my stomach roll. I pushed it down.

"Well, I'm not Camille," I said. Geez, I would hate to be her. "And this relationship," I pointed between us. "Isn't going to work out if you treat me like I'm her, or constantly try to replicate what you had with her with me."

"Wait," he started. "So you aren't...backing out?"

 _What?_ "Why would you think I was backing out?"

"You said you were leaving."

"Yes," I started slowly. "As in I'm leaving the _house_ and going into _town_ to run my _errands._ Were you not paying attention when I said I had things to do?"

"I was."

"Then?" Seriously, what was his problem.

He stayed silent, and I could see he was thinking. Guessing he wasn't going to give me an answer anytime soon and half expecting him to just leave the room without another word like he had done this morning already, I started walking towards the door again.

"Wait," he said as I put my hand on the doorknob.

"What now?" I turned. _I was just on a roll with snapping this morning, wasn't I?_ I blame him.

"Take the SUV," he said, nodding towards a dish on a side table by the door where he kept his keys. I stared at them for a second, debating whether or not to walk or just accept his offer.

Deciding to not be immature, I grabbed the keys, threw a thanks over my shoulder, and walked out with as much dignity possible.

* * *

 **Some Care background and a little insight on Klaus and Cami's relationship.**

 **Also, I lied, no Salvatore this chapter [I swear I had planned it, but then I ended up writing a conflict scene b/w Care and Klaus and Stefan had to get pushed to the next chapter. For those who guessed Stefan, you were right :)]**

 **Also, thank you all so much for 1OO+ lovely reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

 **OH & CHECK OUT THE COVER I SPENT AN HOUR MAKING FOR THIS STORY :-)**


	9. The Errands

**Recommended Soundtrack: Pumped Up Kicks / Foster The People**

* * *

CPOV

Being out and alone allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.

I'd been Nik's "girlfriend" for less than a day and I was already feeling trapped, like a caged animal.

I wanted to blame him for it, but I knew it wasn't his fault. He had been nothing but kind to me, offering me food and a place to stay as well as hefty amounts of cash. But I have been on my own for years, and being in one place for too long makes me itchy.

Needing some background noise, I turned on the SUV radio. It was all high tech, giving me the option to connect a bluetooth device, listen to the local radio, satellite radio, or play from the archived music.

Like the curious creature I was, I selected the archived music option.

There were playlists with obscure names. I'm pretty sure they would mean something to Nik, but they meant diddly-squat to me. I selected at random and ended up choosing one labeled "Studio 1".

Piano notes instantly filled the car, soft and melancholic. It was Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14. I blinked a few times, focusing back on the road before letting out a giggle.

There were arrow buttons on the steering wheel and I pressed the one pointing up, effectively changing the soundtrack to another piano piece.

 _Nik is an old man!_ I mused, listening to each track for a few seconds before changing to the next.

It really didn't surprise me, though. Niklaus Mikaelson had a stick up his ass, and that's something I'm an expert on. He ate healthy, listened to classical music, exercised, and kept everything he owned in pristine shape. _I bet he even has an agenda._

And there's nothing wrong with all that stuff- it's good to have some order in your life. But when you start becoming stiff and monotonous, that's when it's wrong.

And Nik just doesn't give off the stiff and monotonous vibe. I could literally see it in his eyes. Maybe in my time here, I can help him figure out a balance.

With my thoughts on Nik and classical music, I totally didn't notice the police lights flashing behind me. _Had they been there long?_

I looked through the rearview mirror and saw that there was a police car right on my tail, red and blue lights flashing. The siren whooped once, and I took that as a signal to pull over.

 _I. Am fucked._

Cringing as I saw the officer exit his vehicle and adjust his belt, I rolled down the window and turned off the Mozart.

Seconds later, he was standing right next to the car at eye level with me.

"Good morning, officer," I said in the kindest voice I could muster. I didn't try to be flirty- I had tried that once and it got me into deeper trouble. Deeper trouble being that the guy ended up wanting my phone number, and I couldn't exactly say no since he was waiving a speeding ticket.

"Good morning, ma'am," he replied with a nod. He was dressed in the traditional blue uniform, hat included. There was a walkie-talkie strapped to his left shoulder, a gold badge that said _Mystic Falls Police Department_ on the left side of his chest. He wore a gold name tag on the write side of his chest that read _Salvatore_ in black letters _._

He removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of bright green eyes. _Or were they light brown?_ They even looked kind of gray. He was one of those people whose eye color you couldn't really catch on first sight.

He had a square jaw and a straight nose and from what I could see, his hair was light brown.

Overall, Officer Salvatore was a good looking guy.

"I'm sorry, what?" His mouth had been moving and he had said something and I had totally blanked out because I had been checking him out. _Great, are you trying to get arrested?_

"I said," he started again, not really sounding annoyed by her lack of attention. "Do you realize you were going ten miles per hour below the speed limit, and that your right blinker has been on for two blocks?"

"Uh," I started, suddenly becoming highly aware of the annoying ticking sound in the background. I quickly turned off the blinker. "No, I hadn't."

Officer Salvatore raised his eyebrows and gave me a look that was probably meant to say _No shit._

"I'm sorry, but may I see your license and registration?"

 _Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck…_

I smiled and nodded, going for my bag, my mind going into overdrive.

 _What do I do? Tell him that I lost my license? Would that be worse than showing him an expired one? One that's been expired for like two years?! Oh, shit, shit, shit…_

I pulled my license out of my wallet and then went for the glove box, rummaging around, and beginning to ramble.

"Sorry," I started. "But I just got here like, a few days ago, and I was just heading into town to run some errands. I'm staying with Nik- well, _Niklaus_ \- since he's my boyfriend and everything. I don't really know where the registration is, sorry it's taking a moment. But I didn't really think I would need to know where it is, you know? I was probably driving slow because I was thinking and then the blinker thing was probably because I'm a little lost-"

"Wait," Officer Salvatore saved me from my rambling. "You say you're Klaus's girlfriend? As in, Niklaus Mikaelson?"

I sat up to look at him. "Yeah," I nodded. "You know Nik?"

He let out a laugh/snort. "Know him?" He started. "We went to high school together. I was the wide receiver to his quarter back."

 _No way._ "Wait, Nik played _football_?" I asked incredulously. Niklaus Mikaelson did _not_ give off the football player vibe. Especially not the quarterback vibe…

Actually, wait. Yeah, I could see him as a quarterback, all serious and making the decisions. Sweaty, in a uniform that clinged to his every muscle…

"Yeah," Officer Salvatore nodded. "He never told you?"

I slapped on a surprised expression, which wasn't hard to do because I actually was surprised. "Nope," I shook my head. "But come to think of it," I started, bring my hand up to my chin and tapping it in a contemplative fashion. "He has mentioned his friends from high school…"

I squinted at his name tag, pretending it was the first time I noticed it. "Salvatore, _Salvatore_...that name rings a bell."

"Stefan," he offered. "Stefan Salvatore."

I snapped my fingers and let my face light up in mock recognition. _Too easy._

"Stefan, yes! Nik has mentioned you before."

"He has?" He asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

"Oh, yeah." I nodded. "He doesn't really talk to me about his college life, but he has talked to me about his time in high school. Well, apparently not enough since he totally skipped the whole football thing."

Stefan nodded in understanding. From what I knew of small towns, having lived in one for the majority of my life, I think it was safe to assume that everyone knew about Nik and Camille's fall out. So saying that Nik hadn't wanted to talk about college would make sense, right?

Just as Officer Stefan Salvatore was about to open his mouth to add something, his walkie talkie spoke and he clamped his mouth shut, listening to the instructions coming through the speaker.

"Ten-four, over," he said into the walkie then turned back to me. "Sorry, but we'll have to continue this conversation later. Do you need any directions to anywhere before I go?"

"Oh, yeah, can you point me towards the post office?" I asked.

"Sure," he said kindly and then proceeded to give me directions.

"I'll see you around, Officer!" I called as he walked back to his car.

"You can call me Stefan," he called back. "And tell Klaus I say hello!"

"Will do!" I waved and watched as he drove off, his lights flashing and his siren wailing.

I let out a breath and let my shoulders sag as he disappeared around the corner.

 _Crisis averted._

* * *

The Mystic Falls Post Office was a tiny little establishment crammed between a bookstore and a convenience store. The wall on the left was all mailboxes, and the wall on the right was all envelopes, paper, pens, stamps and collapsed package boxes.

There was a counter with three stations, but only one of them was being manned. The older gentleman behind the counter smiled kindly.

"Good morning, young lady."

I smiled. _Old people are so cute._ "Good morning," I answered, matching his kind demeanor.

"How may I help you today?"

I was already standing by the wall of purchasable items. "I need to buy some stamps…" I picked out a packet of stamps. "And envelopes…" I grabbed a box of 80 security envelopes and a packet of six big yellow envelopes and placed all three items on the counter.

The man scanned all the items. "That'll be thirty-six dollars and sixty-four cents."

I paid in exact change, taking a full minute and half half to give the man a twenty, a ten, four singles, two quarters, a dime and four pennies. I needed to get rid of all the change jingling around in my bag.

The man accepted the money, shaking his head and laughing under his breath as he handed her the receipt. "Well that be all today, miss?"

"No," I said, collecting my items. "I need to send a letter, I just need to get my stuff in order. You know- put the letter in the envelope, address it, stamp it."

The man gestured towards a small table and chair that were in a corner of the office. "Feel free to use that table over there."

"Thanks," I gave him a smile. He was so kind. Well, then again, everyone was kind here. Even Officer Salv- I mean, _Stefan_ \- had been cordial. Was it because I was a stranger, or because they were always genuinely like this?

I sat in the chair and slung my bag over the back, retrieving my notebook and a pen. I flipped to the page I needed and read over my letter quickly.

 _Matty:_

 _Just writing to let you know that I am perfectly fine. I know you haven't gotten anything from me in like two months, but there is nothing to worry about, I am alive and well._

 _I'll be staying in this town for a little while longer than I stay in other places. It's a small town in Virginia, and it reminds me of Roseville a lot (although this town has a higher population). They recently had a parade and I got some pretty good shots. I haven't had a chance to find a place to develope my pictures, so I can't send you anything with this letter._

 _Ironic how I left home to get away from a small town and I end up trapped in another one, right?_

 _How's Liv? How's mom?_

 _I know it's kind of stupid to ask since I know I never get a reply. But I like to imagine you reading this and saying that Liv is fine and so is mom. Hopefully that's all true. Well, I guess I'll find out if I ever visit._

 _Love you Matt, hope all is well._

 _Caroline_

Satisfied with what I wrote, I rip the paper out and fold it neatly. I open the box of envelopes and take one out, placing the letter inside and licking the flap, sealing it shut. I write Matt's address in legible scripture, but leave the space where my address is supposed to go empty.

Then I take out a yellow envelope and write down an address I knew by memory. I pulled out a roll of film I had in one pocket of my bag and drop it into the envelope, sealing that one shut with saliva, too.

I stamp both envelopes and gather my things, walking back to where the man was standing. He hadn't moved.

"I have a quick question."

"Go ahead," the man nodded.

"Do you know where I can go get pictures developed? I recently moved here and I haven't had the chance to set up a dark room in my new...house." Referring to Nik's place as my place was still a little weird.

"You can go right next door. The convenience store has kiosks where you can send pictures to print and they're ready in seconds."

"Oh," I started. "No, I meant...is there a photography store around here? I have film that I need to develop, and a...kiosk wouldn't be the right place to do it."

The man stared at me blankly for a few seconds and I thought she had lost him when his face brightened and he spoke again. "There is one photography store in town…"

He proceeded to give me very thorough directions to the only photography store in town and and I thanked him as I walked away. I dropped the envelopes into the mailbox that was outside the Mystic Falls Post Office and decided to walk to the photography store.

* * *

 _Lockwood's Photography_ was right at the corner of town square. They sold high tech cameras and photography equipment as well as offered photoshoot sessions.

The reception was nice. The walls were all painted a cream color, and were covered in images ranging from abstract shots, to pictures of two year olds in Pooh Bear costumes. The floor was carpeted in royal blue carpet, and a chandelier lit the room. The waiting area looked comfy- there were two sofas and three bean bag chairs as well as some reading material.

There were various cameras on display behind the counter and looked at them all with wide eyes as I stepped up and rang the bell.

"Just a sec!" A familiar voice called out. Seconds later, the mayor's son walked around the corner. He glanced at me and smiled. "Caroline!" He said enthusiastically.

"Tyler," I greeted, offering a smile in return. "I didn't expect to see you here," I said honestly.

He frowned a little, but the smile still remained on his face, although a little skeptical now. "You didn't expect to see me in my family's photography store?"

"Well," I started, but didn't really have any explanation. I had seen the name Lockwood and remembered that the Mayor's last name was Lockwood, but I didn't think his son would be here. I shrugged.

He let out a laugh. "Well, I'm here. What can I do you, beautiful?" His voice dropped a little on the last word.

"Ha ha," I laughed nervously. "I was actually wondering if you have a dark room I could borrow? I need to get some pictures developed, and I haven't had a chance to set up a dark room in Nik's house, so…"

"Oh, yeah, we have a dark room," he said with a weird glint in his eye. I repressed the urge to roll my eyes.

I could see this guy was a player from a mile away. He had tried to pull off the intense gaze and casual-yet-sensual touch move last night at the Founder's Day reception, and I hadn't laughed at him because I didn't want to embarrass him in front of his mother.

 _But was he seriously still hitting on me right after I implied that I was living with Nik?_

"It's plenty private," he said as he lead me towards the back of the shop. We passed by two shooting studios. There was a girl there, fiddling with her camera. When we walked by, she looked up and smiled at me, so I smiled back.

Just then, we reached the dark room, and Tyler turned around to look at me, the smile was still on my face. He grinned. "You can get away with anything back here," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

I swallowed, looking away awkwardly. " _Great,_ " I said, the smile dropping from my face.

 _Yup, he was still hitting on me after I implied that I was living with Nik._

He still had a cocky grin on his face when I looked back. _Okay, no._

"So, I'll just be in here," I said, stepping into the dark room and beginning to close the door behind me. "Thank you for letting me use this."

"No problem," he started. As he realized that I was about to shut the door on his face, the cocky grin dropped. "Hey, if you need anything, feel free to-"

"Will do," I said, and quickly shut the door. I waited a couple of seconds to see if he would try to knock or just come in, but I heard his footsteps retreat and let myself breathe a sigh of relief.

I had experienced this before. Almost everywhere I went, there was some guy whose attention I would catch- which really didn't surprise me, since I ended up in pretty sleazy places most of the time.

Sometimes I would go with it, going for a one night stand and leaving the state before he even had time to hit his first REM cycle. Most of the time I would avoid romantic situations with the opposite sex by flat out telling them no. For the more persistent ones I had to say I had a boyfriend, and in one case that I was married. But even then, that would only dissuade them for a few seconds, which was about as much time as I needed to make my get away.

I thought having a real-life, tangible, everyone-in-this-town-is-aware-of-his-existence boyfriend would be much easier. Apparently, I am more naive than I thought.

The only thing that would keep guys like Tyler Lockwood away would be to have Nik standing next to me at all times. Or a restraining order.

I found myself thinking of Nik for a second, wondering what he was up to. He was probably working in his office, sitting at his desk and making calls, pacing in the middle of his study and pulling at his hair…

I was biting my lip hard. The pang of pain jolted me out of my thoughts, which would undoubtedly end in thoughts of last night when he helped me out of the dress.

 _Oh, shit, I had forgotten the dress!_

I smacked my forehead. "I knew I had forgotten something," I mumbled.

I would have to go back to the mansion and pick it up so that I could drop it off at the costume store. Great.

I quickly set up things in the dark room, preparing the proper baths and making sure that I had the right film. I had like seven other rolls in my bag, most of them unused. I would have to get more soon.

Developing relaxed me. It was simple, yet required precision and focus. You couldn't let your mind stray, and I was perfectly okay with escaping into that world for an hour or two.

Once all my prints had developed and dried, I picked everything up, putting my prints in one of the large yellow envelopes I had purchased. I left the room exactly as it was when I came in, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed out.

It was no surprise that Tyler was hanging around, waiting for me to exit.

"Hey!" He said enthusiastically. "How did it go?"

"Fantastic. You have an awesome dark room, great equipment." I said, because he did.

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head and shifting his feet a little. "Uh, thanks. So you got everything you needed?"

"Yup," I said, a little put off by his sudden awkwardness. I pat my bag. "Everything."

He nodded. "Good, well, feel free to come back any time."

"Sure," I said, making my way towards the front of the store so that I could get the fuck out of there. "Thanks again."

 _Oh, snap._

"One more thing," I said, turning back. He was right on my heals, so we bumped into each other. He reached out to steady me and I let out an awkward laugh as I pulled away as inconspicuously as possible. "Do you happen to sell any film here?"

"Huh?"

" _Film,_ " I repeated. "I have a Canon AE-1 and it requires 35 millimeter film. Do you sell any?"

"A _what_?"

I almost snorted, but I covered it up with a sigh. I reached back and pulled my knapsack to my front, opening the flap and taking out my prized possession. My baby.

"A Canon AE-1," I said. When I looked back at Tyler, he had a strange look on his face.

"That's ancient!" I said with a laugh. "We have way better tech here! We just got a few Canon Rebels- they shoot like a dream. Wanna check one out?"

I was scowling. I could feel my face contorting as I shot Tyler the death glare. But I wiped my face clean of emotion as fast as I could and replaced it with a pleasant fuck-you smile.

"That's alright. I really should get going," I said, tucking my camera away into my bag again.

 _Don't listen to him, baby, he's clearly a bonehead._

Tyler looked displeased, but shrugged, trying to play the rejection off cool. He once again said that I could return any time, smiling like a fucking canine.

As I walked away from _Lockwood's Photography_ , I didn't bother to hide my scowl anymore.

 _Ancient!? Does he not know a vintage when he sees one? Fucking photography my ass, he was probably there just to flirt with the camera chick._

I thought back to when he had been waiting outside the dark room for me, when things got awkward. I wracked my brain in an attempt to figure out why Tyler had gotten so weird. Was it something I said?

 _...dark room...great equipment…_

"Oh, ew!"

* * *

 **This chapter took me a little longer to develop, probably because Klaus wasn't in it and I kind of dreaded writing it.**

 **So... Who do you think Matt is to Care? Where do you think the yellow envelope is going? Does Tyler know _anything_ about photography?**

 **KPOV & Klaroline cuteness next chapter! (Which I'll put up tomorrow)**

 **Also...thank you for all the reviews during my absence. You guys are amazing :)**


	10. The Date Part I

**Recommended Soundtrack: Cecilia and the Satellite / Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness**

 **A/N: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG ABOVE, I AM SO OBSESSED WITH IT, IT IS BEAUTIFUL, PLEASE LISTEN THANKS ENJOY THE CHAPTER :-)**

* * *

KPOV

It had been a week. One full week since Caroline and I had made our deal. One week since she moved into my home. One week since she had appeared at my bedroom door, needing assistance with her dress. One week since the night that I spent the better part of an hour imagining the most unsavory things on Earth to get rid of the hard on the scent of her skin brought on.

Although it hadn't been the only night in the last week where I found myself feeling rather...uncomfortable.

Being alone with Caroline proved harder than being in public with Caroline, pun not intended. A fact that I could not figure out for the life of me.

We had gone out into town three times this week, which was a record for me since that was the amount of times I went into town in one month.

But we had established that we needed to be seen, and Caroline was making sure that we were seen. I have to hand it to her, she did a pretty fantastic job. She was earning every cent I was paying her.

We mostly just walked around town holding hands. She had told me about her run in with my old mate Stefan, and how she had been driving ten miles per hour below the speed limit because she was trying to figure out where the post office was.

So on those three outings, I gave her a tour of Mystic Falls. I could have done the tour in one outing, but Caroline insisted on going into all the establishments I pointed out. She mingled with the townspeople well, and I was no longer surprised at how easily public relations came to her. She was a true natural.

Sometimes we would sit and just talk for a few minutes, because that was something normal couples did.

On our second outing, Caroline had insisted that we get ice cream from a vendor.

"Oh, I so knew it," she said when we sat down to enjoy our ice cream cones.

"What?" I said, looking around. Had she seen Camille? But when I looked back at her, her eyes were trained on my cone.

"I knew you were a vanilla guy," she smirked, taking a long lap of her own ice cream. She had gotten a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of strawberry, covered in Caramel sauce, sprinkled with peanuts.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I sounded defensive. Was I defensive? Yeah, I was.

"Nothing," she snickered, going for a lick of her ice cream. I acted fast, gripping her cheeks with one hand and smushing them together, giving her fishy lips. She let out a disgruntled cry, unable to get to her ice cream.

"Tell me what you meant, or no more ice cream," I said sternly. She glared at me and tried to wiggle out of my grasp. She brought her ice cream to her lips, but wasn't able to get any into her mouth and just ended up smearing chocolate and caramel across her lips. She huffed and looked at me as if to say "fine".

Unable to really resist, since my restrain had been tested more than once in the week, I leaned in and captured her lips with mine, letting go of her cheeks. I cleaned up the chocolate and caramel, careful not to use my tongue.

We had set an unspoken barrier for kissing. Neither of us had ever said anything, but whenever we kissed, it was simply lips, no tongue. Our kisses wouldn't last more than a few seconds, either.

I pulled away when I was satisfied that she was clean enough, and looked down at her pink lips.

"Hmm," I hummed, licking my own lips, tasting Caroline and ice cream on my tongue. "You were saying?"

She was silent for a second, then swallowed. "Nothing, forget I ever said anything." She went back to her ice cream, eating it slowly.

I chuckled, finally starting on mine.

If she thought I was vanilla, she was sadly mistaken.

I smirked at the memory. That had been fun.

Pretending to be Caroline's boyfriend was easy. She made me laugh and hardly ever filtered her thoughts on things that I would point out to her. Her opinions were refreshing, and her perspective of the world continued to surprise me.

But that all changed when we were alone in the mansion.

It was like a switch was flipped when we were alone, as if there was a line at my door that separated pretend-girlfriend-Caroline from stranger-living-in-my-house-Caroline.

We found ourselves in awkward silences whenever we were in each other's presence, which only made me slightly relieved that we hardly saw each other.

She never showed up at my bedroom door in the middle of the night again.

Most of the time Caroline would either be in her room or in the kitchen. Recently, after discovering the heated lamps and heater of the pool, she had been out there more.

I was always in my office, making calls and making plans.

There was a non-profit organization in Richmond that wanted to raise money through an art auction, and I had submitted my resume to be the head coordinator of the auction, but there was tough competition.

I had been a co-coordinator for a small auction about three years back, and had wanted to head an auction ever since. This was the perfect opportunity.

Aside from putting in my bid for the auction, I was also working on getting some other jobs in line in case the auction fell through. I would probably have to travel soon…

Finding nothing else to keep myself busy, I went to the kitchen to get a drink.

Every time I left the office, I got a little tense. Tense because I could bump into Caroline.

Not that I didn't want to talk to her, I did. But things were strange here, and I didn't know how to break us out of it.

Sure, I understood the professional angle. She was keeping a distance when we were alone because we weren't together together, so there was no reason for us to be around each other, really. I should be glad for that.

But I wasn't.

She's the first person to stay in this mansion with me, and even though it's awkward, it feels...different to have someone in the house all the time. Not different in a bad way, just different.

It would be nice if we could just hang out once in a while, make this arrangement a little more bearable.

I recalled a memory from the day before when I had called Caroline into my office.

She sat in the chair that was across from my desk, her hands clasped and on her lap.

"You needed me for something?"

I looked at her for a second before opening my desk drawer and taking out an envelope I had there since the early morning.

I handed it to her, unable to really look her in the eyes as I did.

She took the envelope, lifted the flap and peaking in, glancing at the cashier's check I had retrieved that morning. She quickly closed it and looked back up at me.

"That's your first payment," I said, needing to fill the silence. "You've done a good job this week."

Her expression was unreadable. She nodded.

"Will that be all?"

"Yes...that's it."

And then she was gone.

I ran a hand through my hair, chugging down the rest of the water in my glass. That had been the worst time ever. Caroline had looked so...cold. I didn't like it. She was warm, she was sunlight.

Determined that this awkwardness would not overtake us for the next week, I placed my glass in the sink and went out in search for Caroline.

I checked the pool first, and there she was.

It was late September, and the air was already getting a little chilly, even with the Sun out. But I had had a heater installed to keep the pool water warm and heating lamps to keep the surrounding patio warm as well. So you could go out there in December and still be able to enjoy yourself.

I liked to swim, it was relaxing. But I had hardly used the pool in my time here. In the last week, Caroline had used it more than I had in the last month.

She was floating in the middle of the pool, her arms outstretched and her feet straight out. She kicked her feet every few seconds to move around through the water, and her fingers were constantly wiggling.

I stepped closer to the edge, the heat of the lamps washing over me. It was almost as if the warmth was coming from Caroline and not the lamps. She was always surrounded with warmth and light.

I frowned, realizing she was singing.

Her voice was soft, soothing. Her lips moved around the words slowly, and I could tell she had slowed down the tempo of whatever song she was singing.

I stepped closer, catching the words as I approached.

"If I could fly,

Then I would know,

What life looks like from up above and down below.

I'd keep you safe,

I'd keep you dry.

Don't be afraid Cecilia,

I'm the satellite.

And you're the sky."

She dragged out the last word, making it a harmonious melody. After sustaining the note for a few seconds, she let it die out and continued to hum.

She opened her eyes and seemed to catch sight of me because she shot up, not longer floating.

"Nik!" She said, definitely sounding surprised.

"You have a beautiful voice," I blurted without a second thought.

"Uh," she started, swimming over closer to the edge where I was standing. "Thanks."

I crouched down to be more level with her.

Her hair was slicked back because of the water, several shades darker than it was when it was dry. Water beaded on her skin. She was wearing a black one piece she had found during one of our excursions. It was strapless, so from this angle, with her chest pressed up against the wall of the pool, only her shoulder peeking out, it was almost like she was naked.

Fucking focus.

"I didn't know you could sing," I continued. I was avoiding my original mission because apparently I had turned into a coward, but this new aspect of Caroline interested me. She really did have a magnificent voice.

She shrugged. "I don't really do it much. Just when it's silent or I'm in the shower or something."

Caroline in the shower. Holy shit.

"Well, you're very good." I had already said this.

"Thank you," she answered again. I could feel the awkward silence coming on, so I quickly put an end to that.

"I just wanted to know if you would like to go out tonight," I said. It didn't sound like a question. Should I have made it sound like a question?

"Sure, like on a date?" She asked, not seeming as nervous about this as I was.

"Yeah, like a date," I nodded. After all, she was here to be my pretend girlfriend. This is what we're supposed to be doing.

"Okay, where are we going?"

"The Grille," I said. "I realize you probably haven't been there, and that's basically the only place to eat around here."

She chuckled. "You're right. I haven't been in there yet."

"We'll go for dinner," I said.

"Sound's like plan."

* * *

It was Friday night, and since the Mystic Grille was the popular hang out for people of all ages (I wasn't kidding when I had said that it was one of the only places to eat), it was bustling.

All the pool tables were occupied with teenage boys trying to show off to their girlfriends, or potential hook ups. I remember being one of those many years ago.

The bar was full, too. Almost every stool was taken as adults whined down with their friends and co-workers after a long week of nine to fives.

I hadn't intended on taking Caroline to the bar or the pool tables. I found us a booth, but not one that was extreme secluded. Caroline slid into her side, and I slid into the seat across from her. A young girl with bright blue eyes and bouncy black hair came over to us, two menus in hand.

"Good evening. My name is April, and I'll be your waitress for the night. Would you like to start off with anything to drink while you look over your menus?"

I glanced at Caroline who just asked for a water. I did the same.

I already knew what I wanted. I glanced at the menu to make sure it was still there- yeah, it was. They didn't change the options much. And when they did, they made a big deal out of advertising it. But even then, all they did was add one or two items to the menu.

I closed my menu and waited for Caroline, glancing around the establishment. Cami would probably be here tonight, seeing as Marcel-

"Eyes over here," Caroline said, not looking up from her menu. I looked at her, and she flipped a page, looking at the burger options. "Since the moment we walked in you've been surveying the place like a hawk." She put down the menu and folded her hands. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I replied, way too fast. Caroline cocked one perfectly plucked eyebrow, and I was nailed. I knew I was caught, but that was probably the sexiest look I had ever seen in my life. And she probably wasn't even trying to be sexy. Fuck.

"Actually," I started, but then the woman in question walked through the door. I was looking over Caroline's shoulder watching as Cami walked over to the bar. Marcel came out of a back room, leaned over the bar and kissed her full on.

When Caroline looked back to see what I was looking at, I looked away. She turned back a couple of seconds later, a small smirk on her face.

"This is good," she said.

"Yeah," I nodded, wishing that April would hurry up with our water. I couldn't look at my menu since I had already put it down, and looking at my phone would be rude. I had to look Caroline straight in the eyes when I spoke."Marcel owns the place."

"Oh, really?"

I nodded.

I hadn't exactly remembered that fact until we were already on our way here. He had acquired it about two years ago when the old owners decided to pick up and leave town. He had made some improvements to the place, brought in even more and frequent clientele.

Successful bastard.

"You are a genius!" Caroline whisper yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I am?" I already knew that, but what was she referring to exactly?

"Yes!' She exclaimed enthusiastically. "We are here, on a date, in Marcel's very own establishment! And Cami is here! And this place actually looks like it could be fun," she looked around, more specifically at the pool table area. She hummed appreciatively. "This has so much potential."

"Potential?"

"Oh, yeah. We're gonna make Cami so jealous today. If she has any feelings lingering on the surface, we're bringing them out tonight."

April came then with our water and to take our orders. I took a sip of water, glancing at Caroline as she smile mischievously and then turned a kinder smile to April.

She was excited about this. Huh.

* * *

 **I decided to make a tumblr bc I want to interact with you guys way more and I know most of you are on there, if not all.  
**

 **So... I'm missmariawrites on tumblr, feel free to go find me :-) I'll mostly be posting updates and even some sneak peaks of upcoming chapters and stories and maybe a few drabbles. I'm so excited.**

 **What do you think Klaus is ordering for dinner? (His and Caroline's orders are very important in the next chapter) (I am also really excited for the next chapter because it is one of my favs)**

 **Thank you all for the really lovely and amazing reviews (keep it up!), I appreciate them all :-)**


	11. The Date Part II

**Recommended Soundtrack: Spotlight / Mutemath**

* * *

KPOV

"Are you ready to order?"

Caroline glanced at me expectantly, but I motioned for her to go ahead, still trying to figure out why she was so giddy.

She nodded, opening her menu casually before rattling off her order.

"Can I get the All-American Stacked Burger with extra asiago, cheddar, parmesan and bacon, with a side of french fries and a Shirley Temple?"

April nodded along with each word, her eyes wide as she scribbled down Caroline's order. She cast her a nervous smile when she was done before turning to me.

But I couldn't speak. _I knew Caroline ate, but damn._

"Nik?"

"Uh, right," I cleared my throat. "I'll have the Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette on the side."

"Nothing else to drink?"

"No, this water will be fine. Thank you, April." I handed her my menu and she picked up Caroline's saying she'd be back with the food soon before scurrying off.

Caroline was full on staring at me.

"What?"

"A _salad?_ Really, Nik?" She scoffed, crossing her arms. "I knew you were health conscious, but _come on_."

I rolled my eyes. After we had had our talk about our food preferences, Caroline hadn't missed the opportunity to tease me about my diet whenever she got the chance.

"Let me ask you one question," she started.

"Shoot," I said, taking a sip of my water. She would probably go on a rant about how my diet wouldn't change anything. I would listen, bemused, and continue eating my fruits and vegetables.

"Did you pick that specific salad because it's gluten sensitive?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. On the menu, it had said it was gluten sensitive, it was the only salad that was. Not that I had a gluten issue, but the less gluten the better.

"Yes," I said unashamed.

She threw her head back and let out a huff. She muttered something that sounded like _Christ, give me strength_ , but I couldn't sure.

I didn't comment and hid a smirk. _Klaus, one, Caroline, zero._

I cleared my throat. "So, Caroline," I started.

She snapped her head back to me. "Yeah?"

"What's your favorite color?" I asked.

She looked at me strangely. "My favorite color?"

"Yes," I nodded.

I had planned this "date" to get to know her a little better. It was possible that she would be around for another seven weeks at most, and having an awkward presence in my home for another seven weeks was not going to happen, no matter how amazing our outings were.

"Blue," she said automatically.

I didn't mean to frown, but I did.

"What?" She asked.

"I just...didn't expect that answer," I said contemplatively. "You're hard to predict."

"Hard to predict?" She said with a short laugh.

"I never know what you're going to do or say."

It was true. I was pretty good at reading people, able to predict their next move. It made life easy. The only two people that have ever thrown me off were Camille and Caroline. Camille because I never expected her to leave me for Marcel.

Caroline was constantly throwing me off. I had to stay on my toes with her at all times.

She reached out and grabbed my hand. I had been rubbing my chin, something I tended to do while thinking. She reached out with her other hand and pressed her thumb into the skin between my eyebrows, rubbing gentle circles.

"Don't frown," she said, biting the edge of her lip. When she was satisfied, she sat back, still holding my other hand. I slowly laced my fingers through hers, watching the way our hands moved.

I looked back at her. There was a small, serene smile on her face.

"See, this is what I meant," I started. "Unpredictable."

She just shrugged. "My dad used to do that all the time when I frowned. It's more habit than me being unpredictable."

"Were you and your father...close?" I asked carefully. She had told me her father had passed away suddenly, and although she had insisted that it didn't affect her and that it was a long time ago, I still saw her eyes darken slightly whenever she mentioned him. Which had been twice now. She tried to cover it with shrugs and smiles, but it didn't work.

"We were," she nodded, not meeting my gaze and looking at our hands instead. "Even after he and my mom got divorced."

I didn't know what to say. I just nodded silently and let her continue if she so wished.

"I was really young, like ten or eleven. They had been having troubles- they fought often and my dad was hardly ever home. My mom got custody of me when they divorced, and my dad moved to Chicago with his boyfriend."

I blanched, not having had expected the turn that story was taking. She glanced up at me through her lashes and smirked, letting out a low chuckle. "Yeah, unexpected, I know. But he was happy with Stephen. Anyways, we would talk on the phone all the time and I would visit for a month every summer. I liked Chicago," she sighed. "When he passed away, it was really tough. But I'm okay now. Death is a part of life- you have to just deal with it and keep going."

She attempted to keep her voice light, but I could tell it was just a part of her act.

I still didn't know what to say. I had only known Caroline for a week, I didn't know how to comfort her. I didn't even know if she wanted to be comforted. Hell, I didn't even know _how_ to comfort.

So I just ran my thumb over the side of her index finger. She looked up at me and gave me a small smile, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

April came back then with our orders and we pulled apart. She put my salad down in front of me and Caroline's burger and drink in front of her.

It was _monstrous_. It had not one, but _two_ huge meat patties. There was cheese between the two patties, and it was melting over the side of the sandwich. There were bacon strips _and_ bacon bits!

I was salivating, I knew. I glanced up at Caroline who was trying to hold back a smirk. She knew, too.

I looked down at my salad, which I had had countless times here. It was a delicious salad, but it paled in comparison to the cholesterol filled delicacy that was on Caroline's plate.

"MmmmMmmmmm," Caroline said in delight, snapping my attention back to her. She had her hands clasped under her chin and she was looking down at her burger like it was her first born child. "This looks _so_ good, right?"

I swallowed. "Right," I nodded. "If you're into that kind of thing."

I turned back to my plate, unrolling my silverware and proceeding to drizzle a fair amount of Balsamic Vinaigrette over my salad. Balsamic vinegar had amazing properties- all types of good cholesterol and-

"Wow," Caroline exclaimed. I looked up again. She was now holding her burger. "This smells _amazing_ ," she gushed, then looked up at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. _Oh, no._

She sat up, placing her elbows on the middle of the table, leaning over it, holding her Devil burger inches from my face.

"Want a bite?" She said, her voice low and dripping with temptation. _Holy fuck._

The burger's savory, delicious scent assaulted my nostrils and I almost moaned.

"It's brioche bread, in case you were wondering. It's still warm, soft and just the right amount of flaky," she breathed. "And look at those _thick, juicy_ burgers and the _hot, creamy, melty_ cheese." I licked my lips, and quickly pulled my tongue back into my mouth. _Don't. Show. Weakness!_

But she had seen, and the smirk that overtook her features was dangerous. She was going in for the kill.

"But the best part is by far...the bacon. Bacon strips _and_ bacon bits, all salty and perfectly _crispy_ …"

I was hanging on her every word. _Goddamn._

"So…" She started again. "Want a bite?" She repeated, full on grinning now. She knew she had me.

I nodded, and she closed the distance. I opened my mouth and bit down on the most delicious thing I had ever eaten in years. It was probably the most delicious thing I had had, ever.

I chewed slowly, my eyes closed. _This was better than sex._

I opened my eyes and there was Caroline, smiling brightly. I swallowed and she watched as my Adam's apple bobbed. Then she looked back at me.

"Want the rest?" She said innocently, waving the burger in front of my face. I didn't want to take her food, but…

"Hell, yes!" I said, snatching the burger out of her hand and taking another, much bigger bite. I couldn't help it anymore, I moaned.

 _Caroline, one, Klaus, negative twenty-seven._

She giggled, sliding my plate of salad over to her side of the table and sliding her fries over to my side.

"You don't have to eat that," I said, my mouth full. "I'll get you another one of these, you _should not_ miss out."

Another giggle and she shook her head, her golden curls cascading softly over her shoulders and around her face. "It's okay," she said, not sounding like she was just saying it for my benefit. "This salad actually looks really good."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. But if you want, I could just get a bite of yours?"

I felt my face drop. "I said I'd buy you another burger, you're not touching this one."

She threw her head back and laughed heartily. It made me smile- I loved her laugh.

Her laughter fizzled out into giggles and she shook her head again, looking down at her salad and digging in. "I think I've created a monster."

I shrugged, not really giving a damn. Right now, I was willing to do whatever for her because she introduced me to this. Honestly, now that I knew what I was missing out on, I…

I looked up just in time to see Cami and Marcel about to slide into a booth. The booth right next to Caroline and mine's.

"Klaus," Cami said, like she hadn't seen me sitting there. She looked down at the burger between my hands, pulling a disgusted face before masking it. She looked back up at me. "What a surprise."

Caroline had turned to look behind her at Cami. "Hey, Camille," Caroline said brightly. Camille only gave her a tight smile before looking back up at me.

I finished chewing and swallowed. "Good evening, Cami," I nodded.

"Enjoying your meal?" She said, nodding towards my burger. "I remember you being more of a Cobb salad kind of guy." There was a little smile playing at the edge of her lips. She had been here with me before, and I always had the same salad. So did she.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Caroline beat me to it.

"He still is," she said, motioning to my-now-hers salad. "I had him switch so that he could try my burger- it looked like a must have, right Nik?"

She turned around to look at me and I nodded. "It's delicious."

Cami let out a humorless laugh. I looked over her shoulder at Marcel, who had stepped up next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Marcel," I nodded.

He smiled, _fucking smiled at me._ "Klaus. Good to see you, man," he said and then turned his sights on Caroline. "Who's the lovely lady?"

I almost sneered, but I composed myself before speaking. "This is Caroline, my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you," Caroline said, holding out a hand.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Caroline," he replied, giving her hand a gentle shake. The tone his voice had taken made me want to put down my burger and punch him in the face. _He was_ not _just hitting on her in front of me, in front of Cami!_

"Well, we'll leave you two to your meal," Cami said quickly, sliding into her own booth.

I stared Marcel down until he sat in his own seat, glad his back was to Caroline.

She turned back around, a smile on her face.

She winked, gave me a thumbs up, and dug into her salad again.

* * *

 **Poor, naive, Klaus- thinking he could resist Caroline.**

 **Next chapter is a continuation of their date. There will be pool playing, there will be a Klaus + Camille convo (ew ew ew), and some heartfelt Klaroline. Get ready.**

 **Leave me some reviews and go check out my tumblr! (missmariawrites dot tumblr dot com)**


	12. The Date Part III

**Recommended** **Soundtrack: Andy, You're a Star / The Killers**

* * *

CPOV

"Wow," I said, leaning back in my seat and dropping my fork onto the plate where my salad had been. "I did _not_ expect to get full with just this salad."

Nik grinned, grabbing another fry and popping it into his mouth. I reached over and grabbed one. They were really good- all crispy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside.

Nik wasn't as protective of his fries as he was of his burger. I had to hold back the laughter that threatened to bubble out of me every time he took a bite. You'd think he was going through a religious experience by how reverently he cherished each bite.

"I thought you were full."

"I can make space for a few fries," I said, grabbing another one. He chuckled.

Once we had finished, Nik waved April over.

"Would you like some dessert?" Nik asked before April arrived. I thought about it, and thought about all the seductive things I could do with dessert.

But then decided against it. I had plans for the pool tables and I wouldn't be able to execute them while feeling like a rolly-polly.

"No, thank you," I said and Nik nodded. April came then, clearing our plates and producing the check. Nik handed her his credit card and she left to ring him up. She was back less than a minute later, returning Nik's card.

"Have a nice evening," she said brightly and I smiled at her.

"Would you like to hang out for a little while or do you want to go home?"

The word _home_ pulled me out of my thoughts. It was strange to have a place to call home, no matter how temporary it was. Nik calling his own house home made sense- it was his home. It wasn't really _my_ home. I stopped trying to read into it and decided to respond.

"Can we hang out? I want to play pool."

He nodded with a smirk. "Sure," he stood, offering his hand to me. Not that I needed help standing up from my chair or anything, but I took his hand either way. I had noticed that Nik was a gentleman, very chivalrous.

We passed by Camille and Marcel on our way to the pool tables and Nik slid has hand out of mine and to the small of my back.

There was one table open and Nik instructed me to stand by it while he went to get the balls, a rack and two cues.

There was a chair by the wall right next to the table, so I removed my dark maroon jacket and hung it over the back. I was wearing a sleeveless black top with a deep v-neck, dark skinny jeans that made my ass look like a millions bucks, and leather boots. I had bought everything this week while on my outings with Nik. He had insisted on paying for everything, and since I couldn't really pay for anything because I had no money at the time, I had let him. But I was keeping track of all the money I owed him. I would definitely be paying him back before I left, whether he liked it or not.

Thinking about money made me think about the other day when he called me into his office to give me my first check. I knew the moment he handed me the envelope what it would be, and I had tried to suppress the feeling of cheapness that nagged at the back of my head.

I knew it had been tense, and I had momentarily violated my _It's only awkward if you make it awkward_ mantra. But it was just weird. I would have to just suppress my feeling the next time. Next time I would be prepared.

Nik was coming back, his hands full with everything we would need to play. He reached me, setting the cues against the table and then setting up the balls in the rack.

"Do you know how to play?" He asked while arranging the balls. He was taking a little longer than I had expected, so I assumed that it was because there was a method to it that I didn't know about.

"No," I said,shaking my head and reaching for one of the cues, checking its weight.

He glanced up at me, his eyes narrowing. "You aren't going to con me, are you?"

"No!" I laughed.

"Okayyyy," he dragged out the last syllable. "Because you seem like the type of girl who would know how to play pool."

"Well, I know the basics. But I promise I won't pull out amazing pool skills all of a sudden."

"What do you know?" He asked, sliding the rack to the center of the table and picking up his own cue. He began rubbing a little cube with some type of blue thing at the end of it.

"I know that you use this," I held up my cue. "To hit the white ball. You aim to get the white ball to hit another ball, and you want to get more balls into the holes than your opponent."

"And what happens if the white ball goes into one of the pockets?"

"You lose your turn."

Nik nodded. "Good, so you do know the basics."

"Told you," I replied smugly, taking the cube thing from him and repeating his actions. The blue stuff looked like chalk. _Why would chalk make a difference in hitting the ball?_

"Okay," he removed the rack and set it aside, taking position on the other end of the table. "What I'm about to do is called breaking," he said, looking at me. I nodded.

He placed the white ball on a point on the table and then grabbed his cue, taking aim, and giving the cue a powerful push. There was a _crack_ when the cue hit the white ball, and it propelled forward until it hit the nine ball right at the tip of the triangle of balls.

The balls started rolling everywhere, hitting the sides of the table and bouncing off, going in another direction, some sinking into pockets. I watched as they moved.

Nik then walked around the table, surveying the pockets.

"Alright, I got two stripes in and one solid," he said. When he saw that I had no idea what he was talking about, he chuckled. He pointed at the ten ball right in front of me. It was blue with white stripes. "Stripes," he said. Then he pointed at the three ball, which was red with no stripes. "Solid."

I gave one nod. "Gotcha."

Another chuckle. "So that makes me stripes and you solid. That means that I can only sink the stripes and you can only sink the solids. If I had sunk one stripe and one solid on the break, then I would have gotten to pick."

I nodded along to what he was saying. "So what if I accidentally sink I stripe?"

He smirked. "Then I get the point."

"Alright, I won't accidentally sink a stripe," I said seriously and he laughed. "Is it my turn?" I asked.

"No," he shakes his head, turning his attention back to the table. "I get to keep going as long as I keep sinking balls, same goes for you when it's your turn."

"Alrighty," I said. Pool wasn't that hard.

Nik looked over the table for a couple more seconds, his eyes darting back and forth, calculating his next move. He moved to the other side of the table, bending down, looking at the white ball from different angles before setting up his cue and striking once again.

The white ball flew across the table, hitting the solid four ball which hit the striped thirteen, sending it into a corner pocket.

I looked up at Nik. His face was composed, focused.

He sunk two more stripes- the twelve and the fourteen ball. On his fourth try, attempting to get the ten ball in the side pocket, it bounced of the rail and missing the pocket by meer inches.

I huffed, as he came by to stand next to me.

"You're good," I grumbled. I hadn't expected him to suck, but I hadn't expected him to be _that_ good.

"I'm okay," he said.

I snorted. "Oh, _puh-lease!_ You're a stud and you know it," I poked an accusatory finger at his chest.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, I'm good." He wrapped an arm around my waist and leaned in to place a kiss on my cheek. It was a perfectly normal boyfriend reaction, and I did my best not to tense up.

"I played a lot during college. There are usually pool tables in bars."

"And you spent a lot of time in bars," I said. "One bar in specific, I'm assuming." I was referring to the bar he and Camille had met in.

"Yeah," he nodded, suddenly looking a little grim. I hadn't expected that reaction from him.

 _It's only awkward if you make it awkward._

"Alright," I said, turning away from him to survey to table. "You are totally annihilating me and I haven't even shot yet." He let out a little breath and I stepped away from him, looking at my options much as he had.

I could see a couple of shots I could take. I decided on one and positioned myself at the end of the table. I leaned down, mimicking Nik's actions. He was stepping around the table to stand near me, but I ignored him and focused on my shot.

Before I could push the cue forward to hit the white ball, I felt Nik's warm hand wrap around my right hand.

"Hold it here," he said, gently moving my hand up a little bit on the cue stick.

I felt him lean down and his other hand reached out, helping me position my fingers on the table so that I could hold the cue stick more comfortably.

"You can either wrap your index finger around the stick," he said right next to my left ear, sliding my left index finger so it was wrapped around the end of the cue. His other hand was still on my right hand behind me, and he gave the cue a gentle push so that it slid between my thumb and index finger, resting on my middle finger.

"Or you could rest it on your thumb," he moved adjust my fingers, positioning the cue so that it was resting on my thumb, my other four fingers offering support. "Like this," he slid the cue back and forth once more.

"Which one do you prefer?"

"Uh," I started, thinking. "The first one," I said.

I felt him give a small nod, his cheek rubbing against my hair. I moved my fingers into position like he showed me and pushed the cue back and forth, testing out the weight.

"Which ball do you want to hit?" He asked, his voice was a low, deep sound in his throat. I swallowed.

"The sex- _SIX!_ The six ball!" His hand gripped mine a little tighter and I closed my eyes. Damn my fucking hormones. I knew I was turning red, and I was glad he couldn't see my face or chest because my blush would be _so_ visible right now.

"The six ball it is," he said, his voice light and amused. I was glad I at least hadn't made him uncomfortable. "Aim where you want the white ball to go, and then it's just a matter of hitting it."

"Okay," I said, letting out a breath.

"Relax," he coached. "Focus."

It was really freaking hard to relax and focus with Nik pressed up against me, whispering into my ear. I could smell him all around me- all musky and masculine and piney. Damn, him.

But I managed to push that out of my mind for a few seconds and just push the cue forward, hitting the white ball. It moved with incredible speed, hitting the green six (not sex) ball at just the right angle, sending it into the side pocket.

I stared for a second.

"You did it, love," Nik said right next to me and I shot up.

"I did it," I started, looking from him to the pocket where the six ball had disappeared. He was staring at me, trying to hold back a smile but his lips kept twitching. "I did it!"

I launched myself into his arms without thinking because hey, I'm his pretend girlfriend and I can surprise attack him with a hug if I wanted to.

His arms wrapped around my middle and he laughed into my hair.

"And you said you wouldn't pull out any amazing pool skills." He turned his face, his cheek rubbing against mine as he tried to kiss my cheek but I wiggled away from him before he could. "What's wrong?" He pulled away, holding my hips as he looked down at me questioningly.

"Your face tickles," I said, reaching up and rubbing my fingers through the light stubble that ran over his cheeks, chin and top lip.

"Sorry, I must have forgotten to shave this morning," he said, genuinely apologetic and looking a little lost.

"Don't be sorry," I replied. "I like it," I said, placing both hands on his cheeks and pulling him in for a short kiss.

"Really?" He asked when we pulled apart.

"Oh, yeah," I replied, giving his stubble a gentle scratch. "You should grow it out more often. It gives you character."

He laughs as I pull away.

"I go again, right?"

* * *

 **I swear I meant for this chapter to include everything else I mentioned in the A/N in Chapter 11 but I didn't expect the Klaroline billiards scene to last that long and I didn't want to leave you guys without an update for more days.**

 **Also, the whole sex/six thing came out of a pure typo! (I meant to write six and ended up writing sex and I decided it was perfect lol)**

 **Anyways, leave me reviews!**


	13. The Date Part IV

**Recommended** **Soundtrack: Electric Feel / MGMT**

* * *

KPOV

We finished our first game, which I won. Caroline accepted her loss with dignity, but insisted that we play again. So we played two more games. She wasn't a pro, but she seemed to get better with every shot.

Our second game was close, but our third game was the closest. She had been with me tit for tat on our first few shots, sinking one when I sank one, sinking two when I sank two.

"You're getting incredibly good, incredibly fast," I observed as she bent over the table for the millionth time tonight. I had stopped helping her shoot half way through our second game. She had said that I was distracting her more than helping her.

"When I set my mind to something, I usually excel." She pushed the cue forward, quickly and forcefully tapping the white ball, sending it flying towards her target. She had intended to hit the yellow one ball on the side and send it into the corner pocket, but it missed the pocket and bounced off the rail. Caroline let out a huff and stood straight.

"It would have been wicked if you made that right after making such a final statement," I commented, walking up next to her so that her shoulder was brushing my chest, smirking down at her.

She looked up at me through her lashes, her lips pursed, eyes narrowed.

"Wicked?" She said, trying to remain serious.

"British slang for cool," I said matter-of-factly.

"You aren't even British!" She exclaimed, giving my chest a gentle push. I laughed, taking position to take my shot.

"Ah, but I was raised by a British family." I took aim, pushed the cue, and watched the white ball hit the striped twelve ball, sending it into a side pocket. Caroline huffed.

I glanced up at her - she was pouting. _Actually pouting_.

Her plump pink lower lip was stuck out ever so slightly as she surveyed the table, her eyebrows knit together.

I set up and took my next shot. The white ball bounced off a rail and missed the thirteen ball I was supposedly aiming for.

Caroline glanced up at me as I walked towards her.

"You missed that on purpose," she said definitely.

I ignored her, wrapping an arm around her waist and bringing her close into my chest, sealing my lips over hers. I took her pouty bottom lip between my teeth and bit down gently, causing Caroline to yelp.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I murmured against her lips before releasing her. She looked slightly dazed. "Your turn, sweetheart."

She cleared her throat and blinked a few times. "Right."

She turned back to the table and focused her attention on the game.

After a couple of seconds of calculating her shots, she bent over the table. _Again_.

 _Christ, she would be the death of me._

When I had returned to the table with the billiards supplies, she was standing there, her jacket removed. And every male within the immediate vicinity had been staring. Every time she would bend over the table, she gave me either a perfect view of her tits, or a spectacular view of her ass.

It didn't help that she was totally dominating. Yes, she had yet to beat me, but her focus and drive to do so made her look fierce and all the more tantalizing.

She sunk the one ball.

Her expression remained composed. She still had the eight ball to get in a pocket.

But it seemed she had already thought that through. She too a few steps towards the other side of the table, bent down, aimed, and took her shot.

It was clean, precise. The eight ball sped towards the corner pocket and fell in with a _clunk_.

I looked down at the hole right below me and then back up at Caroline. She was still poised in shooting position, but looked up at me and smirked.

She stood and walked over to me so that she could look down at the hole where the eight ball had fallen as well.

"That," I said, pointing towards the now vacant table. Well, the thirteen ball was still there. "Was skill."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "If you had sunk the thirteen ball like you were _supposed to_ , I wouldn't have had the chance to beat you."

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

"But that wasn't _luck_! You purposefully missed your shot!"

"You can't possibly know that."

"I've seen you make more complicated shots than that, Nik."

"Well, maybe I got distracted for a second," I reached out and twirled a lock of her hair around my index finger.

"Right," she said, looking down at her feet, trying to hide her smile. And I think her blush. _Did I just make Caroline blush?_

"Well, I'm going to the bar to get celebratory drinks." She looked back up as she spoke, setting her cue against the table.

"You've earned one. I'll pick up these supplies and meet you over there."

"Okay," she nodded, going for her jacket that was hanging over the back of a chair. She smiled at me as she left, and I watched as she walked away.

Hanging out with Caroline like this felt… _liberating_ , for lack of a better word. It was fun and natural, and the irony of our fake relationship wasn't lost on me.

She was constantly catching me off guard, in a good way.

Like when I had scratched her with my stubble. I had honestly forgotten to shave this morning, what with stressing over getting the auction job and stressing over asking Caroline on a date.

Cami always liked me being clean shaven. It was something we had established early on in our relationship, and it was a habit that had stuck.

I had felt terrible when Caroline pulled away, knowing that women sometimes really got annoyed with scratchy stubble. But she had run her fingers along my cheeks and giggled. And just like that, I felt totally at ease. I had felt something else too, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

I shook my head, scratching my jaw and turning to the table to begin fishing the balls out of the pockets.

Cami was standing at the other end of the table.

"Cami," I said, not really knowing what else to say.

She smiled, moving her hair behind her ear. "Hey, Klaus," she said, placing her hands on the rail and leaning forward ever so slightly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Marcel and I are going to play," she said, pointing over her shoulder. "Did you and Caroline just finish?"

"Uh, yes," I replied, taking the balls out of the pocket closest to me. Cami did the same, helping me out.

"Who won?"

"Caroline won the last game."

Camille's eyes went wide for a second. "Really?" She laughed. "Did you let her win?"

"No," I said. "She won, fair and square."

It was true I could have made that shot, which then would have given me a chance to shoot for the eight ball and possibly won. But I hadn't. Caroline could have missed when her turn came, but she didn't. So yeah, she had won fair and square.

The way Cami assumed that I had to let Caroline win for her to do so bothered me a little.

"Oh," Cami said, moving towards a corner pocket and emptying it. "I never won when I played against you. Caroline must be good."

It was true, I had never gone easy on her. Mostly upon her insistence.

If I was being honest with myself, I had slipped up on that shot because I wanted to see Caroline win. Wanted to see her reaction. I had hoped that she would smile widely at me, or attack me with another hug. But the chance to bite her pouty lip and seeing her blush was a welcomed one.

"She's something special," I said aloud while gathering all of the balls onto their respective tray.

"I'm glad you found someone," Cami started. "But, Klaus," she paused and I looked up at her. She was standing close to me, her expression worried. "She's just not someone I imagined you with," she added in a softer voice.

That was unexpected. I regarded her for a second before answering. "Then who did you imagine me with?"

"I don't know," she sighed, looking away. "Someone more settled, I guess."

I had nothing to say. I looked at her with raised eyebrows, which apparently prodded her to continue. "She just seems really _dynamic_ , you know? Like she can't stay still. I just think you deserve someone who will provide you with a constant."

"Right," I said slowly. I was about to expand on that and tell her that she was the only constant I needed, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I turned and picked up the cues and tray. "Thank you for your concern, Camille, but I am doing fine for myself."

"Klaus," she called, but I kept walking, passing Marcel as I went. I didn't look at him, and just made my way towards the deposit area for the billiards supplies.

Caroline was at the bar, sitting cross legged, sipping a pink drink.

I sat down next to her and ordered a Scotch. Neat.

"Well?" She prodded after I had downed my drink.

"What?"

She shoved my shoulder gently. "Don't be a grouch. I saw you talking to Cami- how did that go?"

"It...went."

 _Went_ as in Cami basically told me that she saw right through me, that she couldn't believe that a girl like Caroline would ever date a guy like me. Which was true. If it weren't for our unlikely encounter, Caroline probably wouldn't even spare me a glance if she saw me on the street. She _was_ dynamic- she was light and sweet and inspired. Someone like me would only bring her down.

I felt her hand on my wrist. I looked up at her, and she was looking, her eyes soft.

"Tell me...if you want," she prodded, and yet gave me a chance to back out.

But I didn't. I told her about our encounter and she listened with rapt attention before speaking.

"This is good," she said for the second time tonight.

"Explain what you mean when you say that."

"She _cares_ , Nik. She basically told you that I would break your heart and that you needed someone more like her."

"How the hell did you interpret that?" Women had their own fucking language.

"Well she said I was dynamic, as in ever changing. And then she said that you needed someone who would be there for you- judging by her sensible shoes and the fact that she looks responsible and reliable, she was obviously referring to someone like herself. She was probably even referring to herself, even if she did that consciously or not."

I scratched my head. When she put it that way, it made sense.

"So this is good."

"Very," she said, giving my wrist a pat before letting go. "And this give us a game plan."

"What did you have in mind?"

"We'll continue our totally-infatuated charade for a few more weeks, and then I'll start to stray. You know, giving you more space in public, mingling with other guys a little more. I won't do any heavy flirting or anything, but it'll look to Camille like I'm losing interest. And because she _cares_ about you, she'll want to comfort you. And that's when you make your move and open her eyes to how in love she really is with you. _Ta-da!_ " She clapped enthusiastically and then took a sip of her drink, finishing it off.

"You think that'll work?"

"Totally," she said, not a speck of doubt in her tone.

"You're diabolical."

"Well," she said, tilting her head to the side, scrunching up her nose and giving me a short laugh.

I laughed too, and then we were laughing together for a few seconds. When we had calmed down, she shrugged.

"You're putting a lot of effort into this."

Another shrug. "I just want you to be happy."

That caught me by surprise. "You hardly know me."

"So?"

"Why are you helping me do this?" The question had been bugging me.

"Because you asked for my help."

"That's it?" _It could not be that simple._

She shrugged again. "What more do you want? You looked like you really wanted this, you asked for my help, I knew I could help you, so I did. That's it."

"And the money?"

She winced. "The money plays a role, yes. But I do genuinely want to help you. Everyone deserves love, and if you are convinced it's in the arms of Camille, then I'll help you get there."

She spoke with such conviction it left me winded. She was so selfless, so willing to help.

I reached over and took her hand. Not having anything remotely as impactful as what she had said, I simply said "Thank you."

Which seemed to be enough, because she squeezed my hand for a second before saying "No problem."

* * *

 **Pardon the absence (school started up and is taking up my life).**

 **But thank you v much for 200+ reviews, and for continuing to review even when I wasn't updating.**

 **I have no idea what's happening next chapter, but I think it'll have something to do with the Mystic Falls high homecoming football game. We'll see how that goes...**


	14. The Shift

**Recommended Soundtrack: Jinx / DNCE**

* * *

CPOV

After our date at the Grille, things changed noticeably between Nik and I.

It started the morning after, when I went down to make myself breakfast and found him in the kitchen making pancakes. He turned to place a pancake on a plate and caught sight of me at the threshold.

"Good morning, love," he smiled, going back to pour more pancake mix into the pan.

I did my best to ignore the term of endearment, but it tugged at my thoughts as I walked in and sat down at a stool.

"Good morning," I started cautiously. "Uhm… what are you doing here?"

He looked over his shoulder, cocking a brow. "This is my kitchen."

I rolled my eyes. "No, duh. I meant what are you doing here _now_? It's like ten- you're usually holed up in your office already."

He shrugged, turning back to his task. "I already got some work done, don't have much else to do."

"Uh huh," I nodded, not really knowing what to make of this. But hey, I wasn't complaining. I reached for a pancake and hissed when he smacked the back of my hand.

"Not 'till I'm done," he said, sliding another pancake onto the plate. That's when I noticed the oozy brown spots on them.

"Are those... _chocolate chips?"_ I leaned over and sniffed at the pile. Sure enough, I picked up the slight smell of cocoa.

"Yes," he answered. "I found them in the pantry. Not sure why they were there, but I thought you might like them in your pancakes."

I blushed, sitting back in my stool. "I may or may not have added them to the shopping list for the maid to get."

He chuckled, turning off the stove top and shaking his head, mumbling something that sounded like "Of course you did" under his breath.

He pushed the plate of pancakes along with some maple syrup and a cup of coffee in front of her.

"You aren't going to have any?"

"Already had my breakfast."

I shrugged, digging into the pile and moaning as soon as the first piece hit my tongue. "This is fantastic!" I exclaimed, cutting another piece and shoving it into my mouth, not really caring that I may look like a pig.

Nik had rinsed and put everything into the dishwasher before pulling up a stool right next to me. "I'm glad you like it."

" _Sheroushly, youf ben holden out on meh_ ," I said through a mouth full of pancake.

"Thank you for the praises," he replied. "Now stop trying to talk and enjoy your breakfast."

I nodded once and continued my attack on my breakfast. Once I had cleared my plate, I gulped down my warm coffee, setting the mug down with a clunk, letting out a satisfied sigh.

I held up the universal "okay" symbol. "Once again, my compliments to the chef."

He smirked and shook his head, taking my mug and plate away from me to rinse them and put them in the dishwasher, starting it up.

"What do you have planned for the rest of the day?" He asked absently. I looked up at the ceiling, wondering if I had anything specific I needed to do.

"Hmmm not really. Maybe I'll go to the bookstore and get a new book. I already finished the one I was reading."

"Hamlet?" He asked.

"How did you know I was reading Hamlet?" I frowned. _Had he gone through my stuff or something_?

"The night at the shed," he said. "I saw you had it."

"Oh." That's right, I had been reading it. Wow, it felt like so long ago that we had met in his shed. It had been less than two weeks.

"Well, no. I finished Hamlet and bought Jane Eyre. That's the book I finished."

"Oh," he said. "You don't have to go to the bookstore, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on," he said, tilting his head in the direction that he wanted to go, holding his hand out to me. I took it, sliding off the stool and following behind him as he lead us out the kitchen and across the foyer.

He took me into his office, and I looked around, not really seeing anything new. He let go of my hand to push open two French doors I had ignored that were on the other side of the room.

The room behind them wasn't ginormous, but it was pretty big. Two walls were covered from floor to ceiling with bookshelves, each shelf lined with books.

I got the distinct feeling that I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

"You have a library," I started, walking into the room. The other two walls were covered with more art, which honestly didn't surprise me. There was a small desk in a corner, some lounge chairs and tables.

"I do," he said from behind me. I was looking at the books in the shelves but I turned as he spoke. He walked further into the room and looked up at the books, too.

"You can read any of these," he said. "Some of them are textbooks - mine and my siblings'. Others are resource books, there are some magazines. Of course we have the classics, and some more contemporary." He pulled out one specific book, showing me the cover. _The Hunger Games_.

I laughed, picturing Nik sitting down to read that trilogy. _Would he be Team Gale or Team Peeta?_

"There are some comic books, too, if you are interested. This is the family library- every book we've read is here."

"I'm not going to lie, this is pretty cool," I said, picking out one of the books and flipping through it. It had a lot of law terminology, so I put it back. "I guess I don't have to go out anymore- you have food, a library, a pool. Did you have a diabolical plan to keep me locked in here this whole time?"

I looked over at him. His eyes had gone wide. "Not at all. Feel free to go out and buy whatever books you want- I never meant to make you feel trapped here."

I laughed as he tried to explain himself. "Relax, I know you were just being nice. I was just yankin' your chain."

He laughed, too. Although a little uneasy. "Right."

"Thank you for showing me this," I said. "I really do like it in here."

He cleared his throat. "Of course. You can come in here whenever you want."

"Thank you," I said again, thumbing a couple of the spines in search for something to read.

"Well, I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Okay."

"Okay."

* * *

I went into the library at least once a day. Nik started making a habit of joining me for breakfast every morning, too. Not that he ever ate- he woke up at the ungodly hour of seven in the morning every day and had breakfast then.

He started to loosen up with his eating habits as well.

" _You're a terrible influence," he grumbled, but the sides of his lips were turned up slightly so I knew he was joking._

" _I didn't see you complaining when you practically orgasmed with every bite of my three-cheese lasagna."_

 _When he doesn't say anything back I look to the side. He's staring at me, his mouth wide open._

" _What?" I ask. "What did I say?"_

 _He chuckles, flicking water droplets in my direction. We're rinsing the dishes from dinner- well, he's rinsing, I'm putting them in the dishwasher._

" _Has anyone told you that you have no filter?"_

" _Repeatedly," I nod, and he chuckles. "I'm sorry if I ever offend you with my big mouth."_

" _I don't mind it," he says, shaking his head. "I feel like there's never any games with you - you say what you mean and you don't complicate things."_

 _I take a dish from him and place it in the dishwasher._

" _What's the point in games? Life's too short to get caught up in stuff like that." I shrug._

 _When I look over at him, he has this weird look on his face. But it's gone before I can place it, and he's handing me a glass to put into the dishwasher._

We'd been interacting with each other a little more regularly. Before our date at the Grille, I had been keeping my distance (and he hadn't been doing anything to get closer to me either).

But after the date, something changed. There was no point in avoiding each other like the plague - there was no reason for us not to have a casual conversation here and there, no reason for us not to share a meal every once in awhile.

I wrote it off as getting to know him better, for the sake of the job he had hired me for.

But I knew that it was because I was feeling lonely. I had been alone for a long time before meeting Nik, but I had never felt lonely because I was always doing something.

Here, in this huge ass mansion, there was only so much I could do during the day. And feeling lonely made me think of Nik - he was probably as lonely as I was, if not more so. All he did all day was hole up in his office. Sometimes I saw him go into the in-house gym he had, but that was it.

And hanging out with him hadn't been that bad, even though what we did I would hardly consider "hanging out". We mostly just were in each other's presence for most of the day now. And that was okay.

A knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts. I had been staring down at a page in the book I was reading, lost in thought and totally not reading.

Nik was standing at the library door, leaning against the threshold looking as fuck-hot as ever.

"Good evening," he greeted, offering me a soft smile.

"Hi," I say, smiling up at him. He pushes off the threshold and walks over to the armchair next to the one I'm sitting in. He sits down, placing his elbows on his thighs, leaning towards me slightly.

"What are you reading?"

"Uh..." I turn the book over so that I can look at the cover. "The Picture of Dorian Gray," I read. Honestly, it was one of the most boring books I had picked up in a long time.

He chuckles. "Is it not capturing your attention?"

I make a face of distaste. "Not really, no. The concept of the book is pretty cool, but I'm getting lost with all the descriptions," I sigh. "Oscar Wilde is doing an awesome job of setting the scene, but a terrible job at keeping me interested."

I close and set the book aside, looking back at Nik. "What's up?" I ask, because he usually doesn't interrupt me while I'm reading unless he's calling me for dinner or something.

"Would you like to join me for a movie this evening?"

"Mystic Falls has a movie theater?" I ask, thinking back to when he took me on the town tour. I don't remember him having pointed out a cinema

"Oh, no," he shakes his head, suddenly looking really uncertain. "I was thinking we could stay in tonight, watch a movie here."

"Yeah, sure," I say and nod. "Wait, but I have one condition."

"And what's that?" He asks, no longer looking uncertain. He smirks at me, and it's almost like he's flirting. But then I remember that this is Niklaus Mikaelson, and he's totally in love with Camille.

"Pajamas and junk food."

"That's technically two conditions," he points out smugly.

"Take it or leave it, Mikaelson!" I say and give his shoulder a shove. He laughs, his eyes crinkling, his dimples sinking into his cheek. _He has the cutest teeth._

 _What the hell is wrong with me? Cute teeth?_

"If that's what it'll take - movies, pajamas and junk food it is."

"Fan-tas-tic!" I say, moving to stand up and stretch. Nik does the same, minus the stretching. I look out the window and see that it's already really dark outside. "I'll go change into my pajamas," I say, going to put my book away.

"I'll...do the same," he says and we walk out together. Since our rooms are literally right across the hall from each other, we're walking to the same place.

"What movie are we watching?" I ask, just to fill the void of silence,

"That's a surprise," he says and I look back at him as we go up the stairs. He grins, and I know he isn't going to tell me shit.

So I roll my eyes and keep climbing.

"We'll meet out here when we're done getting dressed," I say as we each reach our rooms.

He nods. "See you soon," he says and closes the door behind him.

In my room, I strip out of my leggings and t-shirt and go to my pajama drawer.

I can't help but feel slightly... _buzzed_.

I'm about to sit and watch a movie, in my pajamas, with Nik. Junk food will also be involved.

I change my regular bra for a more comfortable cotton bra and slip on my pajamas.

 _This is so weird._

I'm still trying to process everything when I walk out into the hallway. Nik is already standing there in gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. _Yum._

He looks surprised at first, and then he starts laughing, holding his side.

"What?" I ask, looking down my attire. "I said pajamas."

"Is that a-a-" but he can't get it out because he's laughing too hard. "A _onesie?_ "

"Yeah," I state, placing my hands on my hips. It only makes him laugh harder. He walks towards me, laughing under his breath, wiping a tear from the side of his eye.

"A _Care Bear_ onesie, Caroline?"

"It's appropriate."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Very appropriate," he agrees reaching behind me to pull the hoodie with the Care Bear ears over my head. Then he pokes my tummy, right over where a happy-faced Sun smiles at him. "And which one are you?"

"Funshine," I say, holding my chin up.

He chuckles under his breath, still looking down at where his finger is pressed into my abdomen.

"It's not funny," I say, doing my best to keep my tone serious.

"I know, I know it isn't," he says, shaking his head, still laughing under his breath.

"Then stop laughing."

He presses his lips together and looks up at me from under his lashes.

After a few seconds of an intense stare down between me, the Care Bear, and Nik the tortured art curator, I smile. "It's a little funny," I cave, and he laughs again.

"I know it is," he says, dropping his finger, only to slide his hand down to my hand, giving it a gentle tug. "Come on, Funshine."

I let him lead me down the stairs and into the living room.

"Whoa," I say as we walk into the room. I had been in there a handful of times since there wasn't really anything to do in there.

It was just like any other living room - a large leather sectional, with two matching armchairs, a coffee table, a fireplace, and a flat screen television.

But it had been transformed into what looked like the comfiest room to watch a movie.

Pillows and blankets littered the sectional, junk food was piled on the coffee table, and a large projection screen had been pulled down from the ceiling.

"Was this always here?" I ask, pointing at the projection screen.

Nik nods, still pulling me towards the couch. "It comes down from the ceiling, but I usually have it up because the television is usually sufficient."

"It wasn't sufficient tonight?"

He shakes his head and grins. "No." And he offers no more.

We stop in front of the coffee table. There's a box of pizza, popcorn, M&Ms, and Sour Patches. There is an assortment of sodas and bottles of water.

I look over at Klaus. "Did you already have this planned?"

He shrugs. "I know it's customary to get this kind of stuff at movie theaters. I just had a feeling you'd want to eat your weight in candy and popcorn."

"You were absolutely right," I nod and turn back to the table. He chuckles and gives my hand a tug, pulling me towards the sectional.

"After you, madame," he says, finally letting go of my hand and motioning for me to get comfortable amongst the sheets and pillows.

I climb in, adjusting the pillows so that I'm propped up comfortably and cross my legs before throwing a blanket over them. Klaus pulls the coffee table closer to us so that the food is at reach, then climbs in next to me. He hands me a plate and motions for me to go ahead and get some food.

I open the pizza box as he searches for the remote control and turns on the projector which is right above us.

The pizza is half veggies and half pepperoni. I scoff, grabbing a slice of pepperoni, taking a huge bite of it.

"Is something wrong?"

I look over at Klaus, who's looking genuinely concerned.

I chew and swallow before dropping the rest of the pizza slice onto my plate. I grab a napkin and clean my greasy fingers.

"It just amazes me how different you and I are," I point at the pizza. "I bet you aren't going to touch _one_ pepperoni slice, are you?"

He frowns, but I see something else pass through his eyes. _Dejection?_

"Vegetables on pizza is actually pretty delicious," he argues, not sounding very passionate about it, but I know he believes it.

I nod. "I know it is. I was just making an observation," I shrug and take another bite out of my pizza.

He remains quiet for some time while the projector heats up and an image starts to show up on the screen.

"Is it so bad that we're different?" He speaks up and I look back at him. He looks at me, a new sort of intensity in his eyes. I swallow, and it has nothing to do with the bite of pizza in my mouth.

I shake my head slowly. "It's not," I say. "If we were exactly the same, I don't think we'd fit together very well."

He blinks at my statement but nods in agreement. His lips quirk up a little before he speaks. "Imagine if we were both like me," he lets out a humorless laugh and looks away from me.

I frown, setting my plate aside.

"Hey," I say, scooting closer to him. The blanket we're sharing is huge, but as I get closer to him, my feet brush against his legs. I decide to ignore it, but enjoy the warmth either way.

He looks back at me, looking slightly surprised at my move.

"That sounded a lot like self-depreciation," I comment.

"I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with," he says. "I'm aware that I'm cold, rigid, stuck in my ways. My diet is just one aspect of my personality, you can only imagine everything else-"

"Okay, stop," I say, holding a hand up, effectively shutting him up. "Imagine if we were both like _me_ ," I say.

He frowns. "I don't see anything wrong with that," he says. "You're passionate and strong willed and charismatic and beautiful and...carefree," he seems to notice that he's getting slightly carried away, so he adds the last adjective as almost an afterthought.

I'm blushing. I can so tell.

And it's not only my cheeks- it's probably my whole fucking face and neck and chest.

Unable to look at him much longer, I look down at my hands.

"I'm also so riddled with issues it isn't even funny," I shake my head. I feel my eyes getting watery and I do my best to blink the oncoming tears away.

I feel his hand slide over my cheek, his fingers curling into my jaw.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, effectively drawing back all my tears. Then I look up at him, into his eyes.

"I think it's a good thing we're different- we balance eachother out that way," I say.

"I guess."

"But we aren't that different, you know."

"How so?"

"I think you're passionate and strong willed, too," I say. "And I think that with a little help, you can be carefree." I conveniently leave out that he's also the most handsome man I'd ever laid eyes on.

"Oh, yeah?" He smiles.

"Definitely," I nod, then turn my face to the side so that I can drop a quick kiss on the inside of his wrist.

He lets out a breath and I grab a bowl of popcorn, shoving a handful into my mouth.

" _Sho huat moveh are we huatching?"_ I say around my mouthful of buttery and salty goodness.

He chuckles and presses a button on the remote control before reaching forward and grabbing a slice of the veggie pizza for himself.

"Pulp Fiction."

"Oh, I've never seen that one."

He looks both shocked and appalled. And slightly hurt. "You can't be serious?"

"I'm dead serious."

And he laughs. It's probably because I don't _look_ dead serious while shoving popcorn into my mouth in a Funshine onesie.

"Well," he sits back. "I'm glad I'm here to share this very important moment in your life with you."

I look over at him.

We're sitting shoulder to shoulder now, our thighs and shoulders touching.

Klaus seems completely comfortable with this, and he takes a bite of his pizza without moving away from me.

I flick a popcorn kernel in his direction and it hits him square on the forehead.

He reaches up and flicks my forehead with his index finger.

"Ouch!" I cry out, half serious.

Next thing I know, he's turning to me, his lips on my forehead, leaving a gentle kiss right where his index finger made contact. "Sorry, sweetheart."

"S'okay, I started it." I lean in too, dropping a kiss on his forehead. _Fair's fair right?_

"Then we're even," he nods.

With that, we turn to watch the movie.

And I'm not stupid, I'm aware of the little moment that just transpired between us.

 _It's only awkward if you make it awkward…_

And it didn't need to be awkward. In fact, it didn't even feel awkward. It felt natural.

I stuff another handful of popcorn into my mouth as Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta come on screen, letting the movie provide a distraction from the thoughts running through my mind.

* * *

 **Sorry for the 2 month hiatus (school is priority, unfortunately).**

 **This chapter was just to give Klaus and Care some alone time where they bonded while being on their own and not out on a date to make Cami jealous or something. There will be much more of this ;-)**

 **Leave me your thoughts! And Happy Thanksgivings!**


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